My Brettonio short stories
by Brettonioxo
Summary: This is where I will be posting my short stories that are over at Tumblr. Some will be cute fluffy stories, others will be more intense.
1. Chapter 1: All I ever wanted

**A/N This is a prompt that I was requested to write. I hope you guys enjoy it!**

Antonio and Sylvie had the kids for the weekend and he was really excited about it. When the kids and Sylvie first met, he was so nervous and he could tell she was too. However, they hit it off immediately. It certainly helped that with Laura dating a guy that barely showed any interest with the kids, they loved the attention Sylvie gave them.

Sylvie walked inside his apartment with groceries and Antonio looked at her with a curious expression on his face. "What do you have there?" He asked as he walked over to her and grabbed the bags out of her arms.

Sylvie took a deep breath as she swung her arms back and forth to get the blood circulating through her arms again. "Thank you." She grinned at her boyfriend. She shrugged her shoulders. "I figured the kids would want to eat more than beer." She said jokingly.

Antonio walked into the kitchen, placing the bags on the counter. He turned his head to look at her when she walked in the kitchen. "Hey. We have food other than beer." He took the items out of the bag, shaking his head. "You and your junk food."

Sylvie laughed as she walked over and hit him playfully on the arm. "Junk food is good and you know it." She said as she watched him put away the food. "What time is Laura dropping off the kids?"

"Actually change of plans—I'm going to pick them up."

Sylvie tilted her head to the side, studying his face. "Why?"

Antonio shrugged his shoulders. "It's better not to ask."

Sylvie nodded her head as she stared at him. "Well, at least they are still coming."

Antonio smiled and he nodded his head. "I can go pick them up whenever I want. So, I'll go now."

Sylvie nodded her head. "I'll stay here and start dinner, okay?" She suggested. She wasn't sure if he wanted her to come.

He nodded his head and he walked over to her. "Okay, I'll be back soon." He promised as he leaned down, pressing a kiss to her lips. He moved his hands on her hips, pulling her closer to him. After a few seconds, she pulled away pushing him away slightly. "As much as I would love to continue this, go get your kids."

Antonio laughed and he nodded his head. He walked in the living room and he picked up his jacket, slipping it on. He turned his head to look at her. "Lock the door behind me." He instructed her as he opened the door and then closed it.

Sylvie nodded her head as she walked over to the door and locked it. As much as she tried to get him to loosen up to some things, she knew that was one thing he wouldn't budge on.

After an hour, Sylvie heard Antonio unlocking the door and walked inside the apartment. Sylvie was in the kitchen cooking chicken that was almost done. She smiled when she heard the kids walk in the kitchen. She turned her head towards them and then walked over to them. They gave her a hug, which made Sylvie happy.

Antonio leaned against the doorframe, seeing the kids with Sylvie made him happy in a way that he couldn't explain. "It smells good in here."

Sylvie smiled as she looked over at Antonio. "Dinner should be done soon."

Sylvie returned to cooking and after 10 minutes, she turned off the stove and oven and she walked in the living room, where they went off to watch Television while waiting for food.

After they ate, they were all sitting on the couch, with the kids on the floor, leaning against the couch, playing on their phones.

"Do you guys want to watch a movie?" Sylvie suggested as she picked up the remote, switching through the channels.

They both nodded their heads, putting down their phones. Antonio looked over at Sylvie, shaking his head. How she got two teenagers to stop playing on their phones was beyond him.

"I'll go get the junk food, I guess." Antonio shrugged his shoulders as he stood up, walking in the kitchen. After making some popcorn, he walked back in the living room with two bowls, handing one to the kids and one to Sylvie. He sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

After a few hours, they watched two movies when Antonio instructed the kids to go to bed. Sylvie turned off the television as she looked over at Antonio. She moved her hands on his back, rubbing it gently. "I love how peaceful you are when the kids are here."

Antonio smiled at her and he nodded his head. "And you." He pointed out. "As much as I love when my kids are here, I love that you're here to help me with them."

Sylvie nodded her head. "They're really amazing kids. Not many kids would want to hang out with their dad and his girlfriend on a Friday night."

Antonio laughed. "That is true." He stood up and he took her hand, pulling her up from the couch. "Let's go check on the kids and then head to bed." He said, giving her a smirk.

"Bed, right." Sylvie said, laughing. She walked with him to Eva's room and smiled at her sleeping. She let go of his hand as he walked over and shut out her light. Then he walked out of the room, closing the door. Then they walked to Diego's room, and Sylvie opened the door. Seeing Diego also sleeping, Antonio turned his head towards her. "You made them tired."

Sylvie laughed and she whispered. "I didn't do anything!" She said, defensively. "But they're so cute when they're asleep." She gushed over his kids, not caring how she sounded.

Antonio closed the door and he looked at her with a smirk. "Because you didn't sound creepy there." He said, jokingly. He took her hand and he walked to his bedroom.

Sylvie laughed and she shrugged her shoulders. "Wouldn't you rather have a girlfriend that loves your kids or have a girlfriend that only tolerates your kids?"

Antonio grinned as he walked in the bedroom and he shut the door behind her. "Oh, definitely a girlfriend that loves my kids. It's all I ever wanted." He said as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him.


	2. Chapter 2: I love you

**A/N This is the story about their first 'I love you' enjoy!**

As much as he loved his new job as the lead investigator, he loved being the one in charge of a crew. He loved the hours and being able to have off on the weekends. On the weekends he usually spent time with his kids or if Sylvie had off, he would spend time with her. The only thing he hated about it was more stress. But he felt like since it was only the beginning, he would need to adjust to it.

Oh and another thing he hated was wearing suits. God, he hated it. But overall he knew he should feel blessed to have this opportunity in the first place.

Antonio walked up to his door and he took out his keys, unlocking the door. He smiled when he saw Sylvie as soon as he walked in. "Well, this is a nice surprise." He said as he started untying his tie and he pulled it off.

Sylvie nodded her head and she stood up. "I hope it was okay coming here. I figured with your texts and everything, you could use the company."

He walked over to her and he wrapped his arms around her. "You are welcome here anytime you want. You don't need a reason to come here. It's the privilege of being my girl."

Sylvie smiled as she laid her head on his chest. "Don't I feel special?" She said against his chest. After a few seconds, she pulled away from the embrace and she placed her hands on his chest. "I know you miss working in intelligence at times, but I have to say, I love when you wear suits."

Antonio grinned at her. "Oh yeah?" He asked, as he wiggled his eyebrows.

Sylvie smirked and she nodded her head. "Oh yeah. You look so sexy in them."

Antonio smirked and he leaned down, pressing his lips against hers in a soft kiss.

Sylvie smiled through the kiss as she moved her hands in his hair. After a few seconds, he pulled away from the kiss as he smiled at her. "Are you staying the night?" He asked her.

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "Of course. You think I can actually have the strength to leave you in a few hours?"

Antonio laughed and he shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, there are times we don't spend the night together."

"Because I'm working!" She laughed as she pushed him playfully. "You jerk."

Antonio laughed as he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. "I'm kidding, babe. I know when you're off, you're here. And that's why I love you."

Sylvie smiled, but then she froze when she heard what he said. "W—what? What did you just say?" She felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. Even on intense calls her heart wasn't beating this fast.

Antonio bit his lip, cursing at himself internally for slipping. It wasn't a lie, but he wanted to tell her a little more romantically. Not a damn slip out. There was no way in hell he could fix this. If he took back what he said, she'd feel hurt.

"I love you." He repeated. "I'm sorry I wanted to say it more romantically."

Sylvie shook her head immediately. "I don't care about it being said romantically." She said, breaking out in a wide smile. "I love you too."

Antonio didn't expect her to say it back. He knew she cared about him, especially with the whole mess with his parents, she didn't leave his side.

"Really?" He said, in a surprise tone.

"Really." She said, smiling as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt so lucky that Antonio Dawson loved her. She leaned in his ear and whispered. "Say it again."

Antonio smiled. "I love you." He pulled away from her embrace, as she stood there confused. He walked over to the door and he locked the door. She distracted him earlier and he forgot to locked it. He walked over to her as he smirked at her. "Don't worry, I'm all yours for the night."

Sylvie scoffed. "For the night? No, I think you mean forever." She smiled widely at him.

Antonio smiled and he nodded his head. "Forever." He repeated as he leaned forward, sealing the promise with a kiss. He moved his hands under her legs as he lifted her in his arms. She squealed in surprise but quickly wrapped her arms around his neck.


	3. Chapter 3: You're on

**A/N You may think this is Smut, but it isn't. I don't do that and wouldn't cause most people aren't comfortable with it. But anyway enjoy!**

Sylvie and Antonio were spending the day together, which felt like they haven't done in a while, although it's only been 3 days.

Antonio was cooking dinner for them when she walked in the kitchen. "I always thought I was a great cook, but you have me beat." Sylvie said as she walked behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head on his back.

Antonio smiled as he was stirring the pasta, shaking his head. "It's just pasta, baby." He said, leaning into her touch.

Sylvie laughed and she nodded her head. "I know, but it still smells amazing." After a few minutes, she removed her arms from around his waist and lifted her head, stepping back from his embrace.

Antonio looked over at her, frowning at the loss of contact. He watched as she walked over to the fridge and took out a bottle of water. He smiled at her and then he returned his attention to the food.

"You know what I was thinking?" Sylvie asked after she took a sip from the water.

Antonio turned to look at her. "It's never a good thing when you think." Antonio said, jokingly.

Sylvie rolled her eyes. "Hey, I wouldn't be a good paramedic if I didn't think at times."

He laughed. "I know. And you're a good paramedic, the only one I would want to save my life if I got shot. Well, you and Gabby." He said as he turned his attention back to the food. "But anyway, what were you thinking?"

"So–" Sylvie began. "We have been dating a few months and I know you just started your new job not too long ago. But whenever you can get time off, we should go away together."

Antonio turned off the stove and he turned around to looked at her. He walked over to her and he nodded his head. "For how long?" He questioned.

Sylvie shrugged her shoulders. "Only for a weekend. Lords know I can't take off from work that long."

Antonio nodded his head. He wasn't sure who was more about their work more, he or Sylvie. "Sure. Let me see what I can do." He said as he leaned forward, giving her a kiss.

After he pulled away from the kiss, she smiled at him. "Let's eat! I'm starving." He laughed and was about to say something but decided against it.

A few hours later, Antonio walked into the bedroom after taking a shower. They both had to work tomorrow so they were heading to bed early tonight. He walked over to his dresser, and he pulled out his boxers, slipping them on. He walked over to the bed and got into the bed.

Antonio looked up when she walked into the bedroom. "Where were you?" He asked, not bumping into her when he got out of the bathroom.

"To get something to drink." She held up a cup of water and he nodded his head. He motioned for her to join him in bed and she happily obligated.

As soon as she got into bed, she moved in closer to him and he wrapped his arms around her.

"My favorite time of the day. Well, when I'm not working that is." Sylvie said as she laid her head on his chest.

Antonio nodded his head, agreeing with her. "At times I wish we had normal hours that allows us to sleep together every night. But in a way, it makes these moments all the more better."

Sylvie lifted her head and she smiled at him. He was so sweet, and she realized he was everything she was looking for since she was younger. She felt replenished.

She leaned forward and she gave him a quick kiss. "Goodnight baby." She said as she pulled away and laid back on his chest. Within a few seconds, she was fast sleep with Antonio wide awake.

It wasn't that he couldn't sleep before he was troubled by anything. How could he be? His beautiful girlfriend was laying on his chest, and for the first time in a long time, he felt content.

But still, he couldn't sleep. He tried to close his eyes and just tried to put his thoughts to rest, but he couldn't. This was unlike him because he was usually so busy during the day, that by night time, he usually just passed out.

Hearing him stir, Sylvie opened her eyes and she lifted her head. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Antonio nodded his head. "I'm okay, I promise. Just can't sleep." He confessed.

Sylvie sat up and she looked over at him. "Maybe you just need something to relax you."

Antonio looked over at her and he shrugged his shoulders. "I am relaxed. At this moment, I have no worries." Which wasn't the complete truth, he was worried about his mom, but he knew she was fine physically so that didn't make sense on why he was awake right now.

Sylvie nodded her head and then she arched her eyebrows. "Or maybe…If you can't sleep…we could have sex?"

Antonio laughed at her suggestion. "Just because I am a man doesn't mean sex can make me relax and fall asleep afterwards."

Sylvie wiggled her eyebrows. "Oh yeah?" She said, in a challenging tone.

Antonio laughed and he nodded his head. "Yeah." He knew he shouldn't challenge her, but he also knew he was right and she was wrong.

Sylvie nodded her head. "You're on." She moved over on his lap and she straddled his waist. She leaned down and she kissed his neck, moving her hands down on his chest.

Antonio moved his hands under her tank top and he bit down on his lip. Right at this moment, he didn't care if she won the challenge or if he did. He wanted his girlfriend, so he removed his hands from under her tank top and flipped her over, moving on top of her.

Sylvie looked in his eyes and she smiled softly at him. Never did anyone ever make his heart beat fast over a smile. Just a smile. It amazed him yet excite him at the same time.


	4. Chapter 4: I'm here with you

**A/N This was a story that was requested, about Antonio being worried for Sylvie. I sort of wing it, so I hope you guys enjoy!**

 _Antonio was at work, in a middle of talking to his crew about a case they were working on when his phone started to ring._

 _"That's all for now. If you get any leads, just come to me." He said as he walked into his office and took out his cell phone. He noticed it was Gabby and knew she was working today. He answered his phone, pressing it against his ear._

 _"Gabby, what's going on?" He asked, concerned. Before he started dating her partner, he never had to worry about why she was calling him. They were always talking, so it wouldn't have raised any concerns. But now that he was dating her partner, he was always nervous when she called him._

 _"It's Sylvie, Antonio. Get here, now!" She barked into the phone. She gave him their address and he hung up the phone immediately. He rushed out of his office and into Stone's office. "An emergency came up. Can I step out for a few minutes?"_

 _Although he and Stone got along pretty well, he was still new to this job and didn't want him to think he did this all the time. "Of course. Do what you have to do, Dawson." Antonio nodded his head, letting him know that he appreciated it._

 _Antonio ran out of Stone's office and he ran out of the building. He got inside his truck a few seconds later and then pulled away. Although he and Sylvie were only dating a few months, he cared about her a great deal and hoped she was okay. But he knew that if she was in any real danger, Gabby would have called the cops. Hopefully._

 _As soon as he made it to the address, he unbuckled his seatbelt and flew out of the truck. He first saw Gabby and ran over to her. "Where is she?!" Sylvie confided to him a few weeks ago that she thought Gabby was having more trouble with their relationship than what she let on, and he tried to reassured her that Gabby was happy. But even he realized Gabby wasn't all that thrilled that he was dating her partner. So, he was happy that she called him._

 _Gabby looked over at the ambulance and pointed to her. Without asking what happened, he ran over to her. "Baby, what's going on?" Before she could get any words out, she threw herself in his arms, sobbing uncontrollable. He moved his hands on her back, rubbing it gently. Just weeks before, she was the one rubbing his back, comforting him when he found out his parents were divorcing._

 _After a few minutes, she pulled away and she laughed weakly. "Sorry, I don't know why I did that."_

 _Antonio looked at her confused. "You don't know why you cried in your boyfriend's arms?"_

 _Sylvie looked over and noticed the people looking at them. Then she turned her attention back to her boyfriend. "I mean, I just can't right now. We aren't home." Although they weren't living together, she still considered his home to be hers, which made her cheeks turned red. "I mean, your apartment."_

 _Antonio nodded his head. "Baby, I don't care about anyone else right now. You're my only concerned right now." He said as he sat down next to her on the ambo. "But I can't help you if you won't tell me what happened."_

 _Sylvie looked at him and she nodded her head. He was right, if anyone can help her right now, it was her boyfriend. She was grateful for Gabby at this moment. "So, you know how I'm still the PIC in charge? Actually, I guess in a way both Gabby and I are. Anyway, because of that, Gabby just lets me make the calls, unless I need help." It amazed her how far she came along from her first time being in Chicago. She could tell that with the direction of this story, Antonio thought someone hurt her, she shook her head. "I'm fine, Antonio. I am." He nodded his head, staying silent so she could continue. "Anyway, Gabby was fixing up a patient when I ran back to the ambo for something. This guy came up to me with—-a gun. He just figured we had drugs in the ambo. And of course, sensing that he was a druggie, I thought I could fight with him. No one is making me have to explain to anyone why I would give drugs away freely. He did get the better of me for a moment, until Gabby came along." She could tell with the way his jaw was clenching that he was angry._

 _Sylvie reached over and she placed her hand on his face. "Antonio, I'm fine. I am. Just calm down."_

 _As soon as she said those words, she regretted them. He stood up and he looked at her. "You're fine?! What were you thinking, Sylvie?!" He exclaimed. "You could have gotten seriously hurt."_

 _Sylvie stood up and she sighed. "This is my job, Antonio. I was protecting my supplies! No one is going to take them from me! No one!" She knew yelling wasn't going to solve matters. "Antonio, I'm fine. Really. Gabby shouldn't have called you."_

 _He looked at her suspiciously. "If you're so fine, Sylvie, then why do you have marks on your wrists? If you're fine, then why when you tell me you're fine, it sounds like you're convincing yourself? You know I run the same risks so I can't say anything. But the difference is, with dealing with criminals or druggies, I have protection on me at all times."_

 _"Yet, you have a track record of getting shot, I don't!" Sylvie spat out. She shook her head, immediately. "Look Antonio, I understand what I did was stupid and dangerous and I'll never do it again. I know you're only mad because you're scared." She touched his arm, expecting him to pull away, but she relaxed a little when she saw his eyes softening._

 _"Scared? Sylvie, scared doesn't even begin to describe what I'm feeling right now. What I was feeling when Gabby called me." He admitted as she ran her hands up and down his arm._

 _"I know, Antonio. I know how it feels. It's what I feel every day you go to work." She moved inside his arms, resting her head against his chest. "But that's a good thing."_

 _Antonio wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. "It is?" He questioned._

 _"Yes, it just means we care about each other and we don't want to lose each other. I promise baby, I won't do that again."_

 _"I understand you can handle yourself and you're used to putting your life on the line. But now you have a boyfriend that would rather you not do that." Antonio said in a tender tone._

 _"I know." She said, for the first time in a few hours she was completely relaxed._

—-

It was a few weeks later after the whole mess, and Antonio thought that Sylvie was moving on from that mess. But he realized he was wrong.

Antonio was in a deep sleep when he felt someone punching his chest, he opened his eyes and heard Sylvie's little screams and groans.

"No, no. Please don't."

Antonio leaned over and he gently tried to wake her up. As soon as she opened her eyes and realized she was safe, she stopped hitting him and then flung herself in his arms.

"Hey, hey, calm down. They can't hurt you anymore." He whispered in her ear as she tried to calm herself down.

Antonio still felt guilty that he couldn't be there for her when she needed him. Noticing him tense up, she shook her head. "Hey, it's not your fault, baby. I was just on a call. You can't monitor every call I go on."

Antonio moved his hands in her hand, running his fingers through the strands of her hair. "I know. Maybe if you keep having nightmares, you should talk to someone?" He suggested.

Sylvie nodded her head as she calmed down, lying her head on his chest, closing her eyes once again. "I will. I promise. I think that's the only way I'm going to feel better truthfully."

Antonio nodded his head and he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'm here with you through everything." He promised as they both drifted off to sleep once again.


	5. Chapter 5: What would I do without you?

**A/N A cute fluffy one, enjoy!**

Antonio just returned to his apartment, and he was pacing back and forth, not knowing what to do. It worried Sylvie because she never seen Antonio this worked up. Granted, they only been together for a month now so it wasn't like she truly knew his whole life, but his actions were still worrying her.

She walked in the kitchen and grabbed two beers from the fridge. She opened them and then she walked back in the living room, handing him one. He nodded his head as a thanks to her and he took a swig from it. But he was still silent.

"Come on, Antonio. Just say something."

"Say what, Sylvie?" He asked, exasperated. "All I know is I'm going to kill mi padre. That's all there is to it."

"Do you honestly believe your mother wants that? You're not making this easier on her!" She hated being this tough on him right now, but she was worried about her boyfriend.

"Do you think he made this easier on her? Telling her whole family about the divorce in the most humiliated way? We're their children, they should have told us first!"

"Like you told them about your divorce?" She pointed out.

He sighed as he placed his beer on the table as he looked at her. "Why the hell did Gabby tell you about that? Look it wasn't like I was ashamed of my divorce. Or because they adored Laura so much so I thought they'd be mad. It was mainly because before all this happened, they believed in fighting for their family. And I just didn't want them to think that I didn't fight hard enough. But never—never did I put my kids through that mess."

Sylvie nodded her head. "I understand, Antonio. I do. But right now your mom needs you and Gabby on her side. The last thing she needs is for you to fight with your father over things neither of them can control." Sylvie tried to reasoned with him.

Antonio took a deep breath and he walked over and he sat down on the couch. "It just sucks. Whenever I was younger and needed my mom, but I didn't want to tell her what was wrong, she would always know. I didn't even have to tell her. It wasn't even like she went to Gabby 'cause Gabby didn't know either. And now she's hurting and I can't do anything." Antonio said as he rested his hands on his face.

Sylvie sat down next to him as she rubbed his back, comforting him. "I know, it sucks. But when you and Laura divorced, could anyone take that pain away?" She hated bringing up his divorce, but she thought right now it was necessary.

He moved his hands off his face and he shook his head. "The kids would help, of course. But they couldn't take the pain away. It also didn't help when she tried to keep the kids away from me though." He pointed out as he leaned over and rested his head on her shoulder.

Sylvie leaned down and she pressed a kiss on his head. "And how do you feel about your divorce now?"

Antonio took a deep breath. "I don't feel pain anymore. I mean, it sucked that the woman I have kids with couldn't see that my work was just that—work. But I'm happy with you."

Sylvie smiled at his words and she nodded her head. "You just need to let them work this out. I know it's hard because—well you're you. But from what I can see, you got your strength from her. No woman would have gone through with this party knowing they weren't actually celebrating an anniversary if that person wasn't strong."

Antonio nodded his head, staying silent as he took in everything she said. He already knew his mother was strong, but just letting her go through this alone wasn't settling well with him.

After a few minutes, Sylvie looked at him and she placed her hand on his face. She lifted his face to looked in his eyes. "Just smile, I really need to see you smile right now."

Antonio looked at her and he shook his head. "What is there to be happy about, Sylvie? What reason do I have to smile?"

Sylvie leaned forward and she kissed him. The kiss was soft at first, but trying to make her point, she deepened the kiss. After a few seconds, she pulled away needing air.

Antonio laughed slightly. "Point proven. But you know what I mean."

Sylvie shook her head as she moved over on his lap. She locked eyes with him, pouting. "Smile. For me. Please?" She pleaded, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Antonio shook his head, and she realized at this moment he was just teasing her. After a few seconds, he broke into a huge grin, shaking his head.

"Sylvie Brett," he said, placing his hands on her hips. "What would I do without you?" He said, smiling.

"Hopefully you never have to find out." She said, leaning in and giving him a kiss.


	6. Chapter 6: I'm not going anywhere

**A/N Intense and really sad. I'm sorry! But I do hope you guys enjoy!**

When Sylvie and Antonio found out that Sylvie was pregnant, they were both so surprised. But not in a bad way. Of course they haven't discussed about having a baby or even marriage at that time in their relationship, but they were happy. They both agreed not to tell anyone because of just getting together and not wanting anyone to say anything but of course Sylvie broke that plan.

As soon as she walked in the firehouse the next day of finding out, she couldn't keep quiet. She walked over to the table where Gabby and Stella were and bit down on her lip, nervously. "I need to tell you guys something." After saying that, she shook her head. "Uh no I don't! Nevermind. Antonio will kill me. Forget it."

But of course after saying that, they were intrigued. Sylvie rushed off to the locker room hoping to get rid of them. Gabby rushed after her. "Oh no, you can't mention something that juicy and then run away. Get back here Brett!" She said, laughing which of course Stella joined in. "You can run but you can't hide from us, girl!" Stella told her.

Sylvie really wanted to tell her girls, but she promised Antonio. If Gabby wasn't related to Antonio, maybe she could but she knew once she spilled the beans, she was going to call up Antonio. "I can't. Antonio will think I have a big mouth."

At that comment, Gabby shook her head. "I swear to god, Sylvie, if it is something disgusting, like a sex move my brother did on you, please don't tell me. And if you do, I'm going to sue you for pain and suffering."

Stella laughed as she sat down on the bench. "Come on, Gabby, why would she tell us that? No, it's something else. Tell us!"

Sylvie walked around the locker room, making sure no one was in there. Now she prayed and hoped no one would walked in while she was spilling the beans. She walked back over to her girls and she sat down. She looked over at Gabby. "You know that I love your brother, right?"

Gabby rolled her eyes and she nodded her head. "Sylvie…" she warned her.

Sylvie laughed and she shook her head. "I promise it's nothing like that. So, anyway I'm—-I'm–"

Gabby remembered this all too well, and after a few seconds she gasped. "Oh my god, you're pregnant!" She yelled maybe a little too loud.

Sylvie stood up, making sure no one flew in. After a few seconds, she nodded her head. "Yes, I'm pregnant!" At that news, both Stella and Gabby stood up, wrapping her up in a hug.

Sylvie was so happy that she told her girls now. But unfortunately, they weren't the only ones who knew. At that commotion, the others were listening, but they didn't step foot in until they couldn't take it anymore.

The whole firefighters, including Mouch, Casey, Cruz, Severide, Herrmann, Capp, and even Chief Boden came in. They all joined in on the hug and Sylvie was beyond happy.

That was until Antonio found out the news later on.

Sylvie walked in the apartment the next morning, exhausted. This pregnancy was already making her tired and being on shift for 24 hours, she felt dead. As soon as she walked in the bedroom, she noticed Antonio awake with a frown on his face. "You told everyone!" He exclaimed.

She looked at him with a confused expression. How the hell did he find out? Noticing the look on her face, he answered her question.

"Gabby."

"I'm going to kill her. I'm sorry, but they're my family and we're around each other 24 hours on a shift. So it slipped." Sylvie felt bad because the truth was, Gabby was his sister so he should have been there.

Antonio, noticing the tired look on her face decided to drop it for now. He stood up and he walked over to her. "It's okay. You'll just have to make it up to me later. For now, let's go to sleep."

She glanced over at him. "You don't have work today?"

Antonio shook his head. "No. I'm off." He smiled as he took her hand and led her over to the bed. "Are you okay?" He wasn't about to become one of those annoying boyfriends whose girlfriend was pregnant so he became extra protective. But he still wanted to know if she was okay.

Sylvie nodded her head as she removed her shoes and then she changed into one of his shirts before climbing into bed. "Just tired. On a normal day I'm exhausted, add being pregnant on top of that, I'm dead." She confessed as she let out a yawn.

Antonio felt bad for his girlfriend, but knew she would be okay. He would make sure of it. He wrapped his arms around her, placing his hand on her stomach. "I can't wait to feel the baby's kicks." He admitted as he smiled softly at her.

Every time he just smiled at her, her heart skipped a beat, but now hearing him talk about their baby, it just made her melt. "You're amazing, you know that?" She said in awe of him. She laid her head on his shoulder as she closed her eyes.

"Hey, I'm not the one carrying our baby, you are. So, you're the amazing one." He said as he leaned down and pressed a kiss against her head.

Whenever he said 'our baby', Sylvie felt like she could explode into tiny little pieces. Within seconds, of feeling relaxed and content, she fell asleep, with her hand on his over her stomach.

A few hours later, she woke up, noticing that he was gone. She groaned as she opened her eyes. She got out of bed, rubbing her eyes, still pretty tired. "Shouldn't leave a pregnant woman alone." She said, muttering underneath her breath. But as soon as she hit the kitchen where he was at, her irritations were gone. "What are you making?" She asked, smiling at her boyfriend.

"chicken Salad." He smiled softly at her. "How did you sleep?"

Sylvie shrugged her shoulders. "Would have slept better if someone didn't leave me." She cut her eyes at him.

"I'm sorry baby. I wanted to make you something for when you woke up."

Now with that kind of explanation, how could she stay mad at him. She nodded her head. "You spoil me." She said as she turned around, walking out of the kitchen when suddenly her stomach started hurting really bad. "Antonio—" she said weakly as she grabbed a hold of her stomach, bending over in pain.

Antonio turned his head when she said his name, and as soon he saw her bending over, he ran over to her. "Baby, what is it?"

Sylvie shook her head. "I don't know. It's the baby. Antonio, save the baby. Help us." She said as she collapsed in his arms.

As soon as Sylvie collapsed in his arms, he picked her up, looking back at the food. He was done with the food, but obviously that was the furthest thing from his mind right now. He knew he should have put some clothes on her, but as he picked her up, he felt something trickling down his arm. As he looked down, he gasped when he saw blood. He ran out of the apartment, shutting the door behind him.

The traffic to Med was a nightmare but thankfully, he was finally there. He jumped out of the truck and then he walked over, opening the door picking up Sylvie. He kicked the door closed with his foot and then he ran into Med. "Somebody help!"

Since they were both always in and out of Med because of their job, doctors were rushing over to them. But the only doctor he wanted was Will and thankfully that was the doctor that Sylvie got. "We got her, Antonio. Let go." He instructed Antonio gently. Everyone knew now that Antonio and Sylvie were a couple so it wasn't no surprise that he was the one that brought her in.

"She's pregnant, Will." At that confession, he nodded his head and he placed Sylvie on the gurney. Antonio could tell by Will's face that it was bad. He grabbed Will's arm. "Do whatever you can for the baby, but Will, when it comes down to it, you save my girl."

Will nodded his head. "Antonio, when we're in the operation room, that's the only person that matters."

Antonio nodded his head, allowing Will to walk away to work on Sylvie. He took out his phone and he called Gabby. "Hey. I need you."

After a few hours, Antonio was sitting in the waiting room with Gabby, when Will walked out. Antonio stood up and he walked over to him. "How's Sylvie?"

Will nodded his head. "She's stable. She should be waking up in a few hours."

Antonio exhaled a breath of relief. "And the baby?" He was afraid to asked because he already knew the answer. The blood was all over his hands and arms that let him know the answer.

"I'm sorry, Antonio. For all intended purposes there was never a baby." Antonio clenched his jaw, he wanted to hit something. He wanted to punch something. He was so angry. But then he heard what Will said. "But she's strong, she'll bounce back. Just be there for her, Antonio. She's going to need you." Will placed a hand on his shoulder for comfort and then he walked away.

Gabby stood up from the chair and she walked over to her brother. "I'm so sorry." She said, pulling him into a hug.

"What am I going to tell her? She was so happy—we both were." He said as he pulled away from the hug.

"The truth. When I lost my baby, I was really grateful Matt didn't beat around the bush. And I already knew, Antonio. Mothers just know." She looked down at her watch, then she looked at Antonio apologetically. "I have to go pick up Louie from day care. If you need me to come back later, call me." She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Tell Sylvie to hang in there. You too." She looked at him one more time before she walked away.

After Gabby left, he walked towards Sylvie's room and he took a deep breath. He figured she would be waking up soon and he didn't want her to be alone. As he walked into the room, he saw her stirring and she opened her eyes. "Hey." She said groggily.

Antonio sat down on the chair beside her and he picked up her hand. Thank god he had common sense to clean the blood from his hands before he came here. "Hey." He tried to smile at her but he couldn't.

She looked at him, she could sense something was wrong. "What is it, Antonio?" She said. "It's not the baby, because I know. I know our baby is fine. He/she is fine." She said placing her hand on her stomach, but as soon as she did that, she jerked away. "No no." She shook her head.

Antonio looked at her and he took a deep breath. "I'm sorry baby. The doctors did all they could. It just wasn't a pregnancy that was meant to be."

"Meant to be?! What does that even mean? I didn't do anything wrong! I don't drink, I don't do drugs. I'm not even around anyone that smokes cigarettes. I did nothing wrong!" She said, not understanding why her of all people lost her baby.

"Baby–" He began as he let go of her hand and he placed his hand on her face. "You weren't the cause of this. Sometimes these things just happen. I don't know why. But we will be okay."

As soon as she realized that there was no baby, she started sobbing uncontrollably. Antonio removed his hand from her face and he pulled her into his arms.

"I'm so sorry." She kept repeating. "I lost our baby. It's my fault. I lost our baby." Antonio wanted to do nothing more at this moment than to tell her that he was more at fault than she was.

But he also knew that none of this were their fault. But that was what grief did to you. It makes you feel like all of this could have been prevented by you.

"Baby, we will get through this together. I'm with you forever. Okay? I'm not going anywhere." He said as he pulled away, wiping away his eyes and then he wiped the tears from her eyes.


	7. Chapter 7: My girl is badass

**A/N A story about Antonio trying to save Sylvie, but she proves to him how badass she really is. Enjoy!**

Antonio was in a middle of a case, the biggest case he was working on since he started working as a lead investigator when Erin and Hank walked in, it was normal for them to be here since they were all working on this case together. It was who they also walked in with that made him surprised and a little worried. Worried because he knew what this was about. He was shaking his head as he walked over to them.

"Hank, no. Not happening." He said as he turned his attention to his girlfriend.

Hank shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, Antonio, but this is out of your hands. Especially because she came to me and wanted to do this. Right now you can't look at her like she's your girlfriend, but someone who is helping with the case. You wouldn't turn anyone else away who wanted to help, would you?"

Antonio looked at Hank, knowing he was right, but not liking it one bit. He pulled Sylvie to the side, seeing if he can talk her out of it. "Sylvie, you can't. This is too dangerous."

Sylvie asked Voight if he didn't have to tell Antonio, but he said he couldn't do that because this was technically his case too. She placed her hand on his face. "I know you're worried about me. But with everyone behind me, I'll be fine." She promised.

Antonio looked at her and he shook his head. "You can't be sure, Sylvie. I rather you stay out of this."

Sylvie was trying to stay calm, knowing the type of man he was, but he wasn't going to tell her what to do. "She was my friend, Antonio! My friend! I'm going to do what I can to put this monster behind bars." She could see the anger in his eyes, so she began taking on a different route. "You know if this was Gabby, you would want me to do the same thing. Why is she any different?"

Antonio shook his head. "No, I would be doing this on my own and you know it."

"I know the type of man you are, and that's why I'm with you. However, you can't tell me what to do. We can fight about this later. I have to go get ready." She leaned forward and she gave him a kiss, which he tried not to kiss her back, but of course he failed.

Once she walked back to Voight and Lindsay, he took a deep breath. "Fine. But I'm going to be there. I'm going to be the one that watches everything." He demanded.

Voight nodded his head. "That's what I told her."

They all walked out so they could get Sylvie ready for the meeting, which terrified Antonio. Sylvie was a paramedic, she had no clue what she was getting herself into.

After they went back to the station and got Sylvie ready for the meeting, she couldn't help but kept her eyes locked on Antonio. Erin placed a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be okay. We're behind you every step of the way. What do you want the word to be?" Usually they made up the word, but since Sylvie was practically family, they left it up to her to decide.

Sylvie thought about it for a second. "Magic hands." She said, keeping her gaze at Antonio who smiled softly at her. Finally, a smile she thought.

Erin nodded her head, confused but she decided not to pressed on the subject. "Okay, everyone, magic hands." She said, walking off. "Let's go get ourselves ready." Voight said, leaving Antonio and Sylvie alone.

It was silent for a few minutes, until Antonio decided to speak. He walked over to Sylvie and he took a deep breath. "I'm not trying to control you. I hope you know that."

Sylvie nodded her head as she moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and lying her head on his chest. In response, Antonio wrapped his arms around her. "I know, Antonio. And I love how protective you are over me. This is something that I just have to do."

Antonio nodded his head and he pulled away from the embrace. "Just please be careful, please. If something happens to you—" he trailed off, not wanting to finish that sentence.

"Hey," Sylvie said, trying to get his attention. "Nothing will happen to me. How can it when I have my badass boyfriend behind me at all times?" She smiled softly at him.

Antonio smiled and he nodded his head. "My place, later?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Sylvie laughed and she nodded her head. "Oh yeah. You got a deal." She leaned forward and she gave him a kiss. They were in the middle of kissing when Voight walked in, clearing his throat. They both jumped back from the kiss.

"Didn't mean to interrupt, but it's time to go." He said as Antonio pressed his forehead against hers. "Be careful." He gave her one last kiss before he walked away.

Antonio knew how important this was to Sylvie because of her friend. She hadn't mentioned much about her friend before, but just that she met her during one of her calls, and she saved her life. She was high on drugs and Sylvie practically saved her life from a thug. She got her away from that life, but sadly it was a little too late. The guy wouldn't let her leave and ended up killing her when she was on her way home from work one night.

Antonio sympathized with Sylvie, because sometimes he got too close and personal with a case. But he knew Sylvie felt like it was her fault since her friend had been telling her that she felt like someone was following her, and Sylvie was trying to get her to calm down and say she was fine and that she was just freaking out. He just hoped this guy didn't noticed Sylvie from the start because of how close her and the girl were.

They pulled up behind Sylvie a few seconds later to the meeting and Antonio sighed. "I can't believe I agreed to this."

Voight looked over at Antonio and he sighed. "Sylvie seems calm, as long as she stays calm and concentrates on what she was has to do, she'll be fine."

Antonio nodded his head, knowing that was true. Once he saw her walking into the bar that the guy was known at, Antonio knew it was his cue to go in. He opened the truck and he stepped out. He looked around to make sure that no one was looking at him and then he walked inside. He saw Sylvie walking up to the guy and he sat down at the bar, acting like he just came in for a drink. He ordered a drink, just acting nonchalant.

Sylvie sat down next to the guy, and she prayed that Antonio wasn't looking at her because the guy just kept moving closer to her and she knew if he saw it, he would blow their cover for sure. She smiled softly, just imagining Antonio coming over and beating up the guy because he was all over her.

Unfortunately for her, since she smiled the guy took that as an invitation to start whispering in her ear. She wanted to throw up, but she had to act like she was interested. The only guy she was interested right now was sitting at the bar, and all she wanted to do right now was leave and go home with him. But she shook her head, this was for her friend. What the hell she saw in this guy, she'd never know.

She started laughing flirtatiously. God, she thought to herself, if she didn't love her job, she should have been an actress. Because her laugh sounded real and he obviously bought it. Now, she had to think of how to get him to confess to murder.

"So," Sylvie began, in the sweetest tone ever. "Do you have a girlfriend?" She knew from the start when she walked in the bar this guy was a jerk because he didn't know her of all but 10 minutes, and he thought she wanted to have sex with him.

The guy laughed and he shook his head. "No, I had to get rid of my last girlfriend. Literally." With that comment, Sylvie was disgusted but she had to get him to confess. That wasn't a confession, that could have meant anything.

"Oh yeah, I had to get rid of my boyfriend too. He was boring." She thought of a way to get him to confess then she had an idea. "But now he won't leave me alone."

"I can handle that for you. If you do what I want, I can do what you want." He offered.

At this point, Antonio could hear everything and he was disgusted. He wanted to save his girlfriend from this loser, but to be honest, she didn't sound like she needed any help.

"But, what can you do?" She asked, clueless. Antonio laughed lightly to himself, knowing that she may have sounded dumb, but she needed a confession.

"Well my ex girlfriend wouldn't leave me alone. So, after she was done working one night, I followed her home and then ended up killing her." He then went into details on how he did it, exactly the same way her friend died.

She knew she had a confession, so she leaned over and she grabbed his hand. "Wow, your hands are so soft." She lied. "They must be magic hands."

Within seconds, Antonio stood up suddenly from the stool and walked over, but unfortunately the guy knew what was going on in that moment and took out a knife, holding it up to Sylvie's neck. Antonio took out his gun when the rest of the intelligence unit came rushing in.

"Drop it!" Antonio ordered.

The guy looked over at Sylvie. "You bitch! You're going to pay for this."

Sylvie tried to hide what she was feeling and that was terrified. She knew she was playing a dangerous game but when she was talking to him, she thought she had the upper hand.

"Let her go!" Antonio demanded. The guy noticed the look in Antonio's eyes and he laughed.

"Oh is this your girlfriend, huh? Well, maybe you should find a new one because she was all over me. She doesn't seem very loyal."

"I was trying to get the confession out of you! You are disgusting! Everytime you touched me, I wanted to throw up!"

Antonio shook his head. Leave it up to his girlfriend to talk back to the guy holding a knife on her. "Sylvie, please, stop talking!" He ordered her.

Sylvie then got an idea, so she nodded her head at Antonio. She mouthed to Antonio to 'keep him distracted' and Antonio did just that.

"Just let her go! Do you think you are going to walk out of here alive if you hurt her?" He tried to reasoned with the guy, but only for Sylvie. He didn't know what she was up to, but he trusted her.

As Antonio was talking to the guy, Sylvie smiled internally. She was wearing heels, so right now she felt like she had the advantage. Without him noticing, she moved her foot and she kicked him in the balls which made him fall. "You bitch! Ah, hell!" He said and before Sylvie could react, Antonio pulled her into his arms.

"Are you okay?" He asked, a few minutes later when he pulled away from the hug.

Sylvie smiled at him and she nodded her head. "Yes, I'm okay. A little shaken up, but I'm fine. Thanks to you."

Antonio shook his head. "You were the one that came up with that idea, not me."

Sylvie laughed and she nodded her head. "But you were the one that kept him talking." She looked over as Jay Halstead were in the middle of placing him into handcuffs as the guy yelled that he was in pain.

"Too bad." Jay said which made Sylvie laughed.

An hour later, they were back at Antonio's apartment and they were sitting on the couch. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, shaking his head. "How is my girlfriend more badass than me?" He said in disbelief.

Sylvie laughed. "I guess it paid off being a woman. And it definitely paid off wearing heels today."


	8. Chapter 8: It's going to be okay

**A/N A cute fluffy one. Enjoy!**

Sylvie was freaking out, actually freaking out wasn't the word. She was late, so late. And she wished she was talking about she was late to meet Antonio for a date, no she was late as in she didn't get her period. How the hell was she going to tell Antonio?

She learned her lesson a few times going to Gabby for certain things because although Gabby loved Sylvie, her loyalty was with Antonio. He was her brother after all.

Sylvie honestly had no clue on who she could turn to, besides she was afraid when she had to tell Antonio that he would be mad that she didn't turn to him.

She was just so afraid of going to Antonio because they never discussed kids at all. Why would they? They were only dating for a few months. If she even brought up the subject, she would have felt a little psycho. Besides, he just started his new job. They weren't ready for this.

But she couldn't help but get excited, even just a little bit. She knew even if she was pregnant, Antonio would be there every step of the way. She just didn't know how she was going to tell him.

She didn't want to take a pregnancy test right now because she was only a few days late and she knew it was too soon, so maybe she shouldn't even worried about this, but she was the type of girl that was always on time.

Sylvie and Antonio always spent time together on her day off, even when he was working. And today, he was working. However, he just text her saying that he was on his way, so she knew she had to calm herself down. She couldn't tell him that she was late, because being a guy, he would just advised her to take a pregnancy test.

After she splashed water on her face to calm down, she walked in her bedroom and she changed into jeans and a pink tank top so Antonio didn't think she was lazy all day.

As soon as she was done brushing her hair, she heard a knock on the door. Her nerves were pretty much shot right now, but she was happy she was going to spend time with her boyfriend.

She smiled as she walked to the door, and looked through the peephole. She opened the door and smiled at him. "Hey." She said as she grabbed his arm and pulled him inside.

Antonio laughed as he wrapped his arm around her. "Someone is excited to see me." He lifted his free hand to show that he brought a bottle of scotch. "Look at what I brought!"

Sylvie looked at him as she tried to think of an excuse on why she couldn't drink it. "Uh—I can't. Early shift tomorrow." She lamely lied. Not that she was lying about work, but that never stopped her from having a glass before.

Antonio looked at her confused as he let go of his arm from around her and walked in the kitchen. He came back with two glasses. "Just one drink won't get you drunk." He loved that his girlfriend wasn't a lightweight that got drunk easily. "I want to celebrate." He said as he sat down on the couch and he opened the bottle, pouring the whiskey into the glasses.

Sylvie sat down next to him and she shook her head. "I can't." She then heard his comment about celebrating. "celebrating what?" She asked.

Antonio smirked. "Us, of course."

Now Sylvie was lost. Then she started thinking, was he the type to think about 3 months anniversary? Noticing the look on her face, he started laughing.

"I was just thinking that we are doing so great in our relationship. My kids love you, my family loves you. And I just wanted to thank you."

She was about to comment on how many glasses of alcohol did he have yet, but decided to not do that, in fear of starting a fight. Although she knew she couldn't even take a sip, she took the glass from him. "For what?" She asked her crazy boyfriend. None of what he was saying made sense, so right now to her, he was crazy.

She couldn't help but smiled at the tender look in his eyes. She felt really lucky that he was hers. "For seeing something in me that you couldn't just give up. I know I pushed you away in the beginning. Especially when it was clear to see how well we connected in the ambulance and especially that night at Molly's." He said, referring to the first time they flirted with each other.

Sylvie placed her glass down on the table in front of her, doing the same with his. She took both of his hands in hers. "And I'll never give up on you, on us. Ever." She leaned forward and she gave him a kiss, forgetting about everything she was stressing out about for now.

That was until he pulled away and smiled at her. "So, come on. Let's make a toast."

But again, she refused. "I can't, Antonio! Can you just leave it alone?" She snapped.

Antonio was taken aback by her attitude. Sylvie was the nicest person he ever met, so whenever she snapped, he knew it was something important. He looked at her. "Baby, what's wrong?"

Sylvie let go of his hands and she stood up. "Nothing." She lied as she walked away, but before she could, he stood up and grabbed her arm.

"No, we don't do this. So don't start getting in the habit of doing it now. If something is wrong, you can tell me. I don't care what it is. Just tell me please."

Seeing the look in his eyes, and knowing he wanted to fix this, she knew she couldn't hide it anymore. She wanted to wait until she knew for sure, but decided since this is about him, he deserved to know too.

"I'm late." She said, barely audible.

Antonio looked at her, confused. "Huh? Speak louder."

"I'm late!" She exclaimed. "I'm a week late. I was waiting until I was at least 2 or 3 weeks late to take a pregnancy test to be sure. But I'm freaking out!"

Antonio was taken aback at what she just said. "You're—late?"

By him asking her, she figured that he was mad. "I was on the pill, Antonio! I was. I don't know how it happened. I'm sorry." She said, smacking her forehead. "This never happened before. Even when I was with Harrison, I never went through this."

Antonio stepped towards her and he took her hand. "And if you are?"

Sylvie looked at him with a confused expression on her face. "If I'm pregnant?" She asked and he nodded his head. "I mean, of course I'm going to keep the baby. You can be as involved as you want."

Antonio looked at her with a hurt expression. "Sylvie, we're in a relationship! You're not just a one night stand."

Sylvie let go of his hand and ran her fingers through her hair. "We haven't even said I love you to each other yet! We're not ready for a kid! We're not!"

Antonio looked at her, shaking his head. "Just because I haven't said it doesn't mean it isn't true."

Sylvie looked at him with her eyes widened. "W—what?" She sputtered.

Antonio walked closer to her. "I love you. I thought you knew." He placed his hand on her face. "And baby, no one is ever ready for a baby, unless it's planned."

She looked at him, shaking her head. "How can you be so calm about this?"

Antonio laughed. "I'm not calm, Sylvie. I'm overjoyed. My insides feels like it's going to explode. If you are pregnant with my baby, with our baby, it's going to be okay."

For the first time in days, she smiled widely and started to relaxed. "You mean that?" She asked, unsure.

Antonio nodded his head. "Yes. This is good news, baby."

Sylvie smiled and she leaned her head on his chest, finally breathing normally. After a few minutes, she pulled away and looked at him. "By the way, I love you too." She leaned forward and she gave him a kiss.


	9. Chapter 9: Always

**A/N This is when Antonio was still in the Intelligence unit. But enjoy!**

Sylvie was enjoying a quiet evening at home on her night off. Usually she would be with Antonio on her night off, but tonight he was working a big case and knew that he couldn't see her tonight. Thoughts of Antonio made her smile. She couldn't believe that she was dating Antonio freakin' Dawson. She always thought he was hot, every women in Chicago thought he was. But like the others, she never thought she had a chance with him. He was the type of guy that if you didn't know him, you would think he was rude. But she knew he wasn't since he was related to her partner.

They have been dating for close to 5 months now, and she could honestly say this was the relationship she had been waiting her whole life. She was happy with Cruz at one time, but she never loved him. Not the way she loved Antonio. And she felt incredibly lucky that he loved her too.

She was watching Dirty Dancing and it was getting to her favorite part where Johnny was about to walk in and dance with Baby. She groaned when she heard a knock on the door. Since it was close to 11PM, she knew that Antonio would text her before coming over here. At least that's what she thought.

"Whoever this is, I'm going to kill for ruining my movie, and for banging on my door like that." She said as the knocks on the door grew more aggressive. She didn't even check the peephole as she opened the door and she gasped when she saw Antonio bent over, and he was bleeding.

"What the hell?" She said as she grabbed his arm and pulled him in her apartment. She helped him over to her couch and sat him down. "What the hell happened?" She asked.

"I—I got into a tiny fight. Nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about? You're bleeding, Antonio! You're bleeding all over my carpet."

Antonio laughed but then he winced. "You're so nice." He said, jokingly. "It's not as bad as it looks. As long as I'm still conscious, that's good."

Sylvie stood up, looking at him. "I'm taking you to Med." She said, worried for her boyfriend.

"No!" Antonio exclaimed which made Sylvie jumped. "Why do I need them? My girlfriend is a paramedic and the only one I trust right now."

Sylvie took a deep breath. "That's nice, Antonio, and sweet. But I'm not a doctor or nurse, I can't help." She was trying to tell him nicely, but she couldn't understand why he didn't want to go to the hospital.

Antonio leaned back on the couch, taking a deep breath. "Voight saw how close I was to this case and told me hours ago to go home and sleep." He said, explaining.

"But you didn't." Sylvie said, finishing his sentence. "And if he knows you got stabbed, you could get in trouble."

"Yes—well no, I mean when I went to the guy, I had my badge on, so it wasn't like I was doing it illegally."

"In a way you were. You didn't listen to your boss and went after a criminal on your own!" Why he wasn't getting this, she didn't understand. "Tell me the guy is still alive, Antonio. Tell me."

Antonio sighed and he nodded his head. "Yes, I mean obviously he got the better of me and I was fighting him off. So he's pretty beat up to, but he's still alive."

Sylvie nodded her head. She needed to take care of him before he lost anymore blood. "We'll talk about this later. And you are going to the hospital tomorrow. We'll come up with a story. Let me just patch you up for tonight." She promised as she stood up and walked into the bathroom. Thankfully she was a paramedic so she always kept a first aid kit handy in her apartment for emergencies.

After a few minutes, she remerged in the living room with towels, wet rags, the first aid kit. She walked into the kitchen and she grabbed a bottle of whisky for the pain. She walked in the living room and walked over to him.

"Antonio." She called his name, getting his attention. She sighed a breath of relief when his eyes opened up. "Stay with me, okay? This will hurt, but know that you will feel better soon."

Antonio nodded his head. "I trust you."

Sylvie took a deep breath as she removed his jacket and then she ripped off his shirt. She normally loved looking at his chest, and he often teased her about it. But tonight, his chest and stomach was covered in blood. She looked up at him, closing his eyes. She had to think of a way to keep him awake.

"Tell me the story of how you knew you were in love with me." She said, already knowing the story, but it was her favorite story.

Antonio smiled softly at her. "You already know the story, baby." He winced when she dabbed some alcohol on the rag and placed it on his wound to numb it. She apologized but he shook his head, letting her know it was okay.

"I know. But I love the story so humor me." Sylvie said as she took a deep breath. Although in Chicago they didn't teach you how to give stitches, she already knew how to. It was just, she didn't do it in a very long time so she was scared that she forgot.

Antonio smiled, thinking of the memory. "I love it too." He suck in a breath as he felt her start to stitched him up and then he remembered what she wanted. "Well, I feel like I fell in love with you in the ambulance. I never saw a woman so aggressive, but in a good way. Not in a scary 'she's going to kill me' way." He said with a laugh. "But the day I realized I was in love with you was when I came home from work and you were in my apartment, cooking me dinner. I asked you how did you get in my apartment because I don't remember giving you a key." He said, laughing lightly. "And your response was 'don't worry about it'. But knowing that I'm a detective, I wasn't letting it go." He said, taking a break because of the pain.

Sylvie noticed he needed a break and she started to laugh as she continued stitching him up. "You should have saw the look on your face, you didn't know if you forgot to locked the door before you left or what. You just couldn't accept that a beautiful woman was in your apartment cooking you dinner. So ungrateful."

Antonio laughed and he shook his head, finally feeling okay to finish the story. "To be honest, I didn't care how you got in. But I was curious and definitely intrigued on how you got in." He said, chuckling when he remembered how she got in. "After finally of badgering you for hours, you cracked. You told me how you used the back of your earring to get inside my apartment. At first I thought you were joking, because all you really had to do was call and I would have gave you my key. But then you told me that I wouldn't have been surprised."

Sylvie laughed and she nodded her head. "The first and only time I ever broken the law." She was smiling at the memory, it would have been a bad memory if he would have gotten mad and kicked her out, thus ending the relationship. But he was just amazed.

"I was just looking at you and all I could think about was this woman didn't want to risk ruining the surprise, so she broke into my apartment. I knew at that moment not only did I love the hell out of you, but that you were pretty badass too."

"Only for you, baby. No one else is worth going to jail over." She said as she finished stitching him up and she looked through her first aid kit. "I should have some pain medicine around here somewhere."

Antonio was about to questioned why she would have pain medicine but decided against it. Although he knew she was a good girl, he also knew she wasn't as a good girl as she thought she was. "I would have bailed you out for sure. Laughing at you the entire night, but the end result would have been the same. I would have realized how in love with you I was, and always will be."

Sylvie took out a bottle of medicine and she sighed. It wasn't as strong as she'd like it to be, but it would have to do. "First thing, hospital tomorrow." She instructed as she stood up and she walked in the kitchen. She poured water into a glass and then walked back into the living room and over to him. She handed him the glass and then she opened the pill bottle and handed him two pills. "Well, I guess it's a good thing that I love you too, huh?" She smiled at him.

Antonio swallowed the pills, chasing it down with water. He handed her the glass and he nodded his head. "Would have made things awkward."

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "Come on, let's go to bed." She said, placing her arm around his shoulder to steady him and they walked into her bedroom. She helped take off his shoes and she helped him into bed and then she got inside. She wanted him to hold her because although she stayed calm through all of this, she was so scared seeing her boyfriend and the man she loved stabbed.

It was like he could read her mind because he pulled her into his arms, and she started shaking her head. "Baby, you need room to breathe."

Antonio shook his head. "I'm fine. I just want you close to me—no I need you close to me." He said, and smiled when she didn't try squirming away again. "I know I scared you and I'm sorry. Thank you for saving my life." He said, pressing a kiss against her head.

"Always." She promised as she closed her eyes and started to relax for the first time in hours.


	10. Chapter 10: Rain Dance

**A/N A cute fluffy one. Enjoy!**

Sylvie and Antonio were on a date which felt like were the first date in months. They were both pretty busy with work, and when they did have free time for each other they just wanted to relax and watch movies or they had the kids. Since they both had off two days in a row, which was rare, they wanted to enjoy it. Unfortunately the weather had other plans.

The original date was to grab some food and then take a walk by the pier. But it was raining pretty heavy so they had to take Antonio's truck, but Sylvie was still happy since she was spending time with her boyfriend.

"I'm sorry the weather wouldn't cooperate with us tonight." Antonio apologized as they walked out of the restaurant, completely full and satisfied.

Sylvie shook her head. "No, it's okay." She smiled softly when he took a hold of her hand. "I don't care what we do anyway, as long as I'm with you."

Antonio looked over at her and he smiled at her. "You're amazing, you know?"

Sylvie stopped walking which made Antonio stopped. She leaned up and she gave him a kiss. When she pulled away, she smiled at him. "And don't you forget you." She grinned as they started walking to his truck once again.

As soon as they got inside, it started pouring again. "We just made it. We're getting pretty lucky tonight." She smiled as she buckled her seatbelt and she moved the seat to how she liked it.

Antonio looked over at her, shaking his head. "Always moving my seat." He smiled, as he started the truck and he pulled away.

Sylvie laughed. "Oh shut up." She said, teasingly. She looked out of the window as she stared at the rain hitting the truck. Although the rain made everything gloomy, it was still a beautiful sound against the truck. "You know–" Sylvie began, which caught his attention. He leaned over and he grabbed her hand as he drove to his apartment. "I always did love dancing in the rain when I was younger. It's like once I started high school, and then went off to college, I just stopped having fun."

Antonio looked over at her and then he looked back at the road. After a few minutes, he pulled away which made Sylvie confused. "Antonio, where are we?" She asked, but didn't get any response as he turned off the truck and stepped out.

Sylvie was wondering if the truck broke down, but knowing Antonio, he made sure that never happened. She looked at him in wonder as he opened the passenger side and unbuckled her seatbelt. "What's going on?" She asked, as he took her hand and pulled her gently out of the truck.

"You said you always loved dancing in the rain." He pointed out as the rain drenched them within seconds.

"We're going to get sick, Antonio!" She exclaimed, although truthfully she was overcome with joy…and love. Love for this wonderful human being.

Antonio shook his head. "No, we won't. And if we do, it's worth it." He said as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You're worth it." She confessed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Although it was pouring out, they didn't let it change their night. "Every heartbreak that I went through in my life was worth it since it led me straight to you. Thank you for giving us a chance."

Antonio smiled softly at her and he shook his head. "No, thank you for showing me that I deserve this. I always knew I wanted to take this chance, I just didn't want to get hurt again." He confessed, his hair was soaked and so was the rest of his clothes, yet that didn't bother him. As long as Sylvie was happy, so was he.

Sylvie looked into his eyes as she smiled softly at him. "I'll never hurt you. I might eat your food that you were saving, but I'll never hurt you." She grinned as she leaned up and gave him a kiss. She pulled away and she whispered in his ear. "Later you're mine—-but for now-" She said as she backed away from him. "You have to catch me." She finished as she ran down the street in the rain.

Antonio laughed, shaking his head. He never could remember having this much fun with Laura. After a few minutes of allowing her to get ahead of him, he ran after and after a few seconds, he caught up with her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Sylvie was laughing hard, shaking her head. "Damn, you caught me." She said, in a disappointed tone.

Antonio laughed as he nuzzled into her neck. "Did you really think I wasn't going to? I run for a living."

Sylvie laughed as she took in pleasure at the feeling of his face into her neck and his arms tightly around her waist. "True. I honestly didn't think you were going to chase me."

Antonio pulled away from her neck and looked at her. "Why wouldn't I? I wouldn't let you run the streets in the dark, alone."

"I just thought because it's raining and you know I would have ran back to you eventually." She said as she wrapped her arms around his neck, slightly massaging the nape of his neck.

Antonio shook his head. "But again, it's dark and raining out. You know I'm protective of you." He smiled, loving the feeling he was getting from her touches.

Sylvie nodded her head, already feeling over the rain and just wanting to be with her boyfriend. "Just protective? I think you mean overprotective." Sylvie laughed as she let her arms fall to her sides. "Let's go home."

Antonio smirked and he shrugged his shoulders. "Gotta protect what's mines, you know?" He nodded his head at her question and he removed his arms around her waist, and then he placed an arm around her shoulders. "Home. I like the sound of that."

Sylvie felt her face turned a bright red because she just called Antonio's apartment her home. But since he didn't mind it, she wasn't going to try to fix it. She was soaked and she wasn't sure if he was going to be okay with her sitting in his truck with her wet clothes. "Baby, I'm soaked. And we're a little far away from the apartment." Antonio looked at her confused, still not understanding the problem. "Are you okay with me sitting on your seats while wet?"

Antonio laughed. "It's just water, Sylvie, not blood. It's fine." A few seconds later, they stopped outside the truck and he let her go. "Besides, you have girlfriend privileges." He gave her a kiss and he opened her door, letting her get in. Noticing she was cold, he closed her door and he opened the back door, bringing out a blanket. He closed the door and then he walked to the driver side, and he stepped inside. He looked over at her and he covered her up in a blanket. "We'll be home soon." He promised as he took out his keys and started the truck, pulling away.

Sylvie looked over at him in awe. This whole night has been perfect, with the wonderful restaurant, to him letting her dance in the rain, to giving her a blanket when she didn't even ask. She pulled the blanket up to her chest and she smiled softly at him. "You're seriously the best boyfriend ever. I feel so lucky."

Antonio looked over at her and he smiled softly. "You just make it easy being a good boyfriend. You don't ask for much."

"Yeah, well, just don't think we're going home and sleeping any time soon." She winked at him.

Antonio smirked, shaking his head.


	11. Chapter 11: Christmas Love

**A/N This is a Christmas one I wrote. Enjoy!**

Antonio and Sylvie's relationship was growing stronger as each day passed by. She admitted to him the other day that she loved Christmas and hated that she was away from her family, so he promised on their next day off, they could buy a tree and decorate it. She was so happy by the news that she was planning on doing a lot that day.

Today was their day off together, and last night she warned him to get plenty of rest because they have a lot to do today. He laughed because he thought she was kidding, but no, she wasn't kidding. It felt like he just fell asleep when he felt her waking him up. He groaned, shaking his head as he pulled her against him.

"No. Not yet. It's my day off, Sylvie." He complained, not opening his eyes yet.

But of course, his girlfriend had other plans. "Baby—" She whined. "You promised."

At that comment, he opened his eyes and he looked at the clock. "It's 6 in the morning, Sylvie! What the hell do you want to do at 6 in the morning? You lost your mind."

Sylvie shook her head. "I already told you to get plenty of rest. I warned you!" She said as she stood up, walking over to the window, opening the curtains to let in the sun.

Antonio groaned as he started to sit up. "Then maybe you should have kept your hands to yourself last night!"

Sylvie walked over to him and she shook her head. "First off, no. Never going to happen. I'm going to touch you whenever I want." She smiled at him and then she started to pout, giving him the puppy dog look. "Please, baby, get up. It's going to be a good day for us."

Antonio shook his head, breaking out in a smile. "You know I can't say no when you do that." He sighed and then he stood up, nodding his head. "I do want you to have a good day today. It's just so early, babe." He complained as he walked over to his dresser, getting out his clothes for the day.

Sylvie nodded her head. "I know, but we're picking up the kids around noon and we have to get the tree, the decorations, oh and guess what?" She asked him. "It's snowing so I also want to build a snowman."

Antonio turned his head to looked at her. "Sylvie, there is only 24 hours in one day." He reminded her. "And you can wait to play in the snow until the kids are here."

Sylvie walked over to him and she grabbed his hand. "Can we go out to breakfast first?" She asked him. "I'm starving."

Antonio laughed and he nodded his head. "Of course. Let me just take a shower first, okay?"

Sylvie nodded her head as she dropped his hand. "You're the best."

Antonio nodded his head, agreeing with her. "I am." He laughed as he leaned down and he gave her a kiss.

An hour later, they were both dressed for the day. She was wearing snow boots with jeans, a long sleeve shirt with a jacket over it, and she slipped on her coat. Antonio wore jeans and a t-shirt and then he slipped on his coat.

"This should be fun." He comment.

"It will be." She promised as she took his hand and walked out of his apartment.

A few hours later, they walked in with a tree. Well Sylvie was instructed Antonio on how to carry it into the apartment. He placed it in the corner, and he let it go, catching his breath. "I shouldn't be this out of breath, I run after criminals for a living."

Sylvie laughed as she walked into the kitchen with the bags. She placed them on the counter as she emptied the bags, putting the stuff away. She walked in the living room. "Can I see your keys so I can get the decorations?"

Antonio nodded his head, but then realized what she said. "No. I'll go get them."

Sylvie looked at him with a bewildered look on her face. He laughed, shaking his head. "It's a few bags, Sylvie. I'm a man, it's my job to carry things."

Sylvie smirked. "I just figured you needed a break to catch your breath after carrying the tree in."

Antonio laughed as he walked over to her, pushing her gently. "Hey, that tree was heavy. You wanted a big tree, for what reason, I don't know."

He was heading towards the door when she grabbed his hand, tugging on it. He turned around to looked at her. "Thank you. You know, for this, for everything." She said. "I don't know what I did right to get such an amazing boyfriend."

Antonio smiled as he pulled her to him. He leaned down, kissing her gently. A few seconds he pulled away, looking at her. "I ask myself that question every day. What I did to get such an amazing girlfriend. But then I realized I shouldn't question it, I should just treat her like the queen she is." He smiled softly at her, which made her insides melt. "I'll be right up with the bags."

A few minutes later, he entered the apartment, placing the bags on the floor. "You know, I don't think we needed this many decorations."

Sylvie walked back into the living room when she heard his remark. "Yes, we do. And if not, then oh well, better to have more than not enough."

Antonio nodded his head. "That is true." He took out his phone for the time and he looked over at Sylvie. "We have to leave soon to pick up the kids. I could always pick them up while you stay here."

Sylvie shook her head at his suggestion. "No. I want to come. Unless you don't want me to."

"And why wouldn't I want you to come?" He asked in an exasperated tone. "Of course I do. I just thought you would want to stay here."

Sylvie shook her head once again. "No." She walked over to him and she wrapped her arms around his waist. "So, I know Christmas isn't until a few weeks, but what are you getting me?" She asked, her eyes twinkling.

Antonio laughed, shaking his head at her. "Nice try baby. Like you said, Christmas is a few weeks away. So, you'll just have to wait." He kissed her cheek and then he stepped out of her arms. He glared at her. "And no tricks either! No seducing me, no asking my kids, no asking Gabby, none of that!" He warned her in a loving tone. "It's our first Christmas together, I want it to be special."

She smiled softly as she walked over to the bags and started sorting out the decorations. "It will be." She promised. "Is Laura letting you keep the kids for Christmas?"

Antonio shrugged his shoulders. "I haven't ask her yet. I should do it soon, but not today. If she says no, I don't want it to ruin our day." Antonio said as he walked in the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle.

After a little while, it was time to pick up the kids. As soon as he mentioned it, Sylvie stood up, sliding on her coat again as Antonio did the same.

20 minutes later, Antonio pulled outside of Laura's apartment and honked the horn. Sylvie looked over at him and glared at him. "Sylvie, if I see Laura, we're going to fight." He sighed, knowing he wasn't going to win this fight.

Antonio unbuckled his seatbelt and then he got out of the truck. He walked up to the apartment building, luckily as the kids were heading out. "Mom's not here." Eva informed him, which made Antonio relieved.

They all headed back to the truck as the kids got in and then he headed towards the driver's side. Although the kids acted like they weren't excited, he knew they were. After all they loved Sylvie anyway. He knew, just like him, whatever Sylvie wanted them to do, they would do it too. As long as it wasn't anything embarrassing, and just thinking about that, Sylvie mentioned something about going Christmas carol.

Antonio looked back to see the kid's reactions and he laughed loudly. More loudly than he should since he received a glare from Sylvie. "Oh come on baby," he said as he drove away. "You know the kids wouldn't agree to that. Would you if you were their age?"

He realized he was right because she just nodded and leaned back in the seat. The car ride was silent for a few minutes after that but then Eva spoke up. "I'll go."

Sylvie turned in the seat to looked at Eva. "Really?" Her face broke out in a wide smile. But then as Sylvie thought about it, she shook her head. "You know what? I don't think we will have time. I already planned too much for us to do."

Antonio smiled as he parked outside his apartment and he turned off the truck. They all got out of the truck and headed inside his apartment building.

"Is Christmas like your favorite holiday, Sylvie?" Diego asked.

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "Well, yes. Besides, since I have been away from my family I haven't celebrated it. But then your dad mentioned about doing it and I just got really excited." She confessed with a sheepish grin.

After they got settled in, they decided to make a gingerbread house that Sylvie got for them. They didn't have the heart to tell her they were too old to do this. They figured if she wasn't, then how could they be?

After they were finished with it, Sylvie looked at it and laughed. "It looks….a mess. But at least we had fun with it." She said.

Eva, Diego, and Antonio all agreed with it. Although it didn't come out the way it was supposed to, it was okay. Because they all had really fun putting candy on it, and playing with the icing.

Antonio couldn't remember the last time he was this happy and it was all because of this wonderful amazing woman next to him. He looked over at her as he grinned at her, letting her know they were all having fun.

The next thing she wanted to do was the tree. They agreed that it made sense to let Antonio put on the lights, and then they would all take turns decorating it. After the lights were on, Eva and Diego took turns placing on the ornaments.

Sylvie couldn't help the grin on her face as she heard them laughing and having fun as she sat on Antonio's lap for a break. Her job was to put on tinsels after they were done.

Antonio leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "They are happy because of you."

Sylvie smiled as she massaged the nape of his neck. "I do love knowing that I'm the reason they're happy. But you're also the reason too. It's not every day they can spend time with their father. It's obvious how much they love you."

Antonio smiled and he nodded his head. "Is it obvious how much I love you?" He asked as he leaned over and kissed her cheek. They already said their 'I love you's' a few weeks ago, but since that night, he hadn't really said it much. So, hearing it now brought a huge smile to her face.

"Yes. I mean, not many guys would do all of this for their girlfriend. Wife, maybe. Girlfriend, no." She said, smiling at him. "I'm just so lucky. I mean, of all the guys in the world to fall in love with me, Antonio Dawson is the one to fall in love with me."

Antonio laughed, shaking his head. "You act like I'm special. To you, yes. But before we got together, I was just your partner's brother." He pointed out.

"Maybe so." She agreed. "But you are clueless on how many women talk about you, you know." She said, laughing. "Come on, all you had to do was walk into Molly's and the women were buzzing on how good looking you are."

Antonio shrugged his shoulders. "But none of them would do that–" He said pointing to his kids. "Make my kids their priority. You could have easily just excluded them from this, but you didn't."

Sylvie shook her head, her face expression turning serious. "I knew from the start on how important your kids are to you. Remember, you pushed me away because of them. Besides, this wouldn't be fun without them. Because you know your mind would have been on your kids thinking how much you would want them here." She said. "Your kids are amazing, anyway. I love spending time with them. I love seeing their happy faces."

"And you love them." He observed.

At that comment, her face turned red. It was one thing to tell her boyfriend that she loved him, it was another thing to say it about her boyfriend's kids. He laughed, not in a teasing way, but because he was finding this adorable.

"Baby." He said. "They love you too. Do you think if they didn't, they would be here right now? They're teenagers, they would have said no. And even if I forced them to come, they would have been miserable."

Sylvie nodded her head as she turned to looked at the kids. She knew what they were going through with Laura and her boyfriend, so to see them happy, laughing, it made her feel good. After a few minutes, they announced they were done.

"Do you guys have an angel?" Eva asked while Sylvie was busy putting up the tinsels.

Antonio stood up, nodding his head. He went over to the bag and pulled out the new angel they brought today.

"Sylvie should place it on the tree." Eva and Diego said at the same time.

Antonio nodded his head, not questioning his kids, but of course Sylvie did. "W–why me?" She stammered out.

"Because none of this would have happened without you." Diego said.

"And in a way, you are sort of an angel in our lives. Including our dad's." Eva said, which made Sylvie melt. Of course it wasn't the same way she melted when Antonio looked at her like she was the only woman in the world. But in a way, it was so much better. That was letting her know that they loved her, and not only that, but they loved her with their father.

But Sylvie wasn't going to questioned it. So, she nodded her head. "Okay, but I'm going to need help, okay? Do you guys want to help me?"

They both agreed and a few minutes later, they all stood back to looked at their masterpiece. "Definitely better than the gingerbread house." Antonio commented which made them all laugh.

"So, now, let's go build a snowman since the snow stopped." The kids looked at Sylvie looked she was crazy but they nodded their head. They all got bundled up, including Antonio and they headed outside.

Of course since it was an apartment building, there wasn't much snow to build a snowman much to Sylvie's disappointment. But not wanting to see Sylvie said tonight, Antonio reached down and made a ball out of the snow. He threw the ball at Sylvie which landed on her face.

The kids laughed and Sylvie shook her head at her boyfriend. "You are so dead!" She exclaimed as she bent down and made a bigger ball than he did. She threw it at him but of course since he was running away, it only hit his back.

"Ah! Ha!" He said, daunting his loving girlfriend.

After a few minutes, the kids joined in, and an hour later, they were all freezing and soaked, but they were blissfully happy.

Sylvie ran over to Antonio jumping on his back, making him fall on the ground, which the kids soon followed, jumping on their dad. They were laughing, but they knew it was time to go inside.

"Let's go inside and change, and have hot chocolate." Antonio announced which they happily obliged to.

Once they were in the apartment and changed, they were drinking hot chocolate as Sylvie started to cook dinner.

Eva and Diego were tired from the fun they had today, but it was a good tired so they weren't cranky. But they decided to go in their room and wait for dinner.

Antonio smiled as they left the kitchen and he stood up, walking over to Sylvie, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I love you. Thank you for today."

Sylvie smiled as she leaned against Antonio. "I love you too baby. And I love your kids." She turned around in his arms as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you for letting me in and sharing your life with me. I know it wasn't easy."

Antonio smiled at her, shaking his head. "It was easy, Sylvie. Maybe not before I met you, but they weren't the right woman for me that's why it wasn't easy. You are perfect for me in so many ways." He gave her a kiss and then he stepped out of her embrace. "I'm going to straighten up the living room while you cook."

She watched as he walked out of the room, knowing that although their relationship was still new, one day Antonio Dawson wasn't just going to be her boyfriend, he was going to be her husband.


	12. Chapter 12: You're Special to me

**A/N Just a short fluffy one. Enjoy!**

Antonio and Sylvie haven't spent much time together lately and he really missed his girlfriend. Although the hours were less at the state attorney's office, it was still hard to adjust to running his own crew. But tonight he just wanted this night to be about him and Sylvie, nothing else. She at least deserved that.

However, she didn't know his plans for the night. As much as he would have loved to take Sylvie out on a date, he was in his selfish moods where he just wanted her all to himself. So, he didn't tell her that he was coming over.

It was around 5 PM when he left his apartment and he got inside his truck. He started his truck and then he pulled away, heading to her apartment. After about 20 minutes, he parked and he shut off his truck. He stepped out, walking up to her apartment. He hoped that she was home, but he figured she was since if she was planning on having girls night, she would have told him.

Antonio walked up to her door and he knocked on it. He smiled when she opened the door a few minutes later. "Hey there." He said to her.

Sylvie grinned at her boyfriend as she grabbed his arm, pulling him inside. "I didn't know you were coming over tonight. I would have dressed more better." She said which made Antonio looked down and noticed that she was wearing pajamas bottoms and a tank top. He shook his head.

"I wanted it to be a surprise. And besides, it doesn't matter what you're wearing." He said as he pulled her into a hug, feeling like it has been weeks since he last seen her.

After a few minutes, he pulled away and he smiled softly at her. "I missed you so much." He said as he leaned forward and he gave her a kiss. After a few seconds, he deepened the kiss, moving his hands into her hair.

She pulled away from the kiss, needing air. She smirked at him. "You really did miss me, huh?"

"Hell yes." He said as he took her hand and walked over to the couch. He sat down and he smiled when she sat next to him.

"Are you hungry? I can cook us something." She offered, which he shook his head to.

"No, if we get hungry, we can just order in. I really don't want to do anything tonight but just be close to you." He admitted.

Sylvie smiled softly at him and she nodded her head. "You're sweet." She said as she let go of his hand and leaned against him.

At that moment, Antonio shook his head, laughing. "I'm not sweet." He rolled his eyes, teasingly.

Sylvie leaned back to looked in his eyes. "To me, you are."

Antonio smiled, nodding his head. "That's because you're my girlfriend. If I was rude to you like I am to everyone else, you would end up leaving me."

Sylvie laughed, shaking her head. "No, I wouldn't."

Antonio looked at her, not buying it. "That's just because you don't see how I treat others. If you did, you would change your mind."

Sylvie shook her head, moving over to his lap, straddling his waist. "No, I wouldn't. I honestly don't believe you could treat anyone badly. If you did, you wouldn't have the respect you have."

Antonio smirked as he placed his hands on her back. He nodded his head. "Maybe so. But I don't treat anyone the way I treat you. That's just because you're special to me."

Sylvie grinned as she lifted his shirt. "Special, huh? Keep talking." She urged him to continue as she lifted his shirt over his head with his help.

Antonio nodded his head, smiling at her. "Oh yeah. I mean not everyone would accept all my flaws." He said, referring to his ex-wife.

Sylvie shook her head immediately at what he said. She took his face in her hand as she stroked his cheek. "Baby, we all have flaws. God knows I have plenty. And the flaws that you're talking about isn't even flaws. You're the best man I know."

Antonio looked deeply in her eyes as he nodded his head. They were both silent for a few seconds as they got lost in the moment. After a few seconds, Sylvie removed her hands from her hand and she rested her forehead against his. "I feel like I can't breathe." She said, breathlessly.

Antonio pulled away slightly to look at her face. "What's wrong, baby? Are you getting sick?" He asked, a concerned expression appeared on his face.

Sylvie smiled softly as she shook her head. "You honestly have no clue what you do to me."

Antonio grinned when it finally clicked on what she meant. "It's the same thing you do to me."

"But at least you still can breathe." Sylvie pointed out.

Antonio took her hand in his and then he placed it over his chest, making her feel his heart beat. "You feel it? It's beating fast already and we aren't even making love yet."

Sylvie smirked, pleased with herself. She squealed in delight when Antonio picked her and carried her to her bedroom. "Ah!" She giggled happily.


	13. Chapter 13: Kiss me

**A/N Just some cuteness. Enjoy!**

Antonio felt the sun shining on his face and he opened his eyes. It was one of the lucky days that Sylvie got off from work for two days, and that he was off from work too. He smiled as he looked over and he saw her still sleeping.

Normally, he would wake her up so that they could spend time together before they parted their ways for at least 24 hours. But since they had the whole day together today, he decided to let her rest. She deserved the rest.

The only problem was that she was lying on his chest. He knew if he moved her, she would wake up. He had to be smart about this because it was still pretty early, and he would feel guilty if she woke up.

Antonio decided to just move her over without waking her up. He smiled when she rolled over on her side without waking up. He shook his head as he climbed out of bed and walked out of the bedroom and into the bathroom.

After he was done brushing his teeth and going to the bathroom, he walked out and walked into the kitchen. He wanted the kids today, but they were busy to hang out with their old father. He was just happy that he was spending the day with his girlfriend.

He decided to make breakfast for her. Sure, he could have waited until she woke up and see if she wanted to go out and grab some breakfast, but truthfully he didn't want to leave the apartment today. It was becoming colder, and the winter was upon them, so he didn't feel like dealing with it.

Antonio was in the middle of making pancakes when he felt an arm wrapped around his waist. He smiled as she leaned her head on his back. "I didn't even hear you come out of the room."

Sylvie laughed and she nodded her head. "I know. I could tell." She said against his back. "What were you thinking about? Usually you hear things from a mile away." She laughed, but she wasn't lying.

Antonio smirked as he turned around in her arms. "You, of course." He said as he leaned in and kissed her nose. He smirked when he heard her giggles and he shook his head. "I love that sound, I swear."

Sylvie smiled, shaking her head. "Someone is in a good mood today." She observed as he turned around, checking on the pancakes.

Antonio smiled and he nodded his head. "How can I not be? We get to spend the day together."

He walked over to his cabinet and took out two plates. He walked back over to the stove and placed the pancakes on the two plates.

Sylvie smiled as she walked over and grabbed two glasses, placing them down on the table. Then she walked over to the fridge and took out juice. She walked over to the glasses and poured juice in. "So, do you have anything in mind?" She asked.

Antonio shook his head. "I was just thinking of staying in since it is cold out. But if you want to go out and do something, we can. Honestly, I just want to spend time with you. We don't get this opportunity much, so you best believe I'm going to take advantage of it."

Sylvie smiled as he walked over to the table with the plates. "I don't care what we do either. Personally, I rather just watch movies with you all day…among other things." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at him.

Antonio laughed and he shook his head. "Of course. Among other things." He said with a wink. He placed the plates on the table. "So I made bacon, pancakes, and eggs."

Sylvie smiled and she placed the glasses on the table by their plates. "And I got juice. I say we make a perfect team." She said with a grin. "I could have helped with breakfast if someone didn't leave me." She said, glaring at him.

Antonio laughed as he walked over and grabbed forks for them both and walked back over to the table, sitting down and he handed her one. "Hey, you looked peaceful sleeping. I didn't want to wake you up." He said as he picked up a bacon strip and took a bite.

Sylvie grinned as she shook her head. "I know. And I appreciate letting me sleep. But I still wanted to help you with breakfast. You are right that we don't get this opportunity much." She said as she lifted up her fork and started digging into her food. Since no one really cooked at the firehouse anymore, she didn't really eat breakfast that much anymore, so she enjoying this. "You're the best cook ever." She complimented.

Antonio laughed, shaking his head. "Anyone can cook breakfast, Sylvie."

"No, that's not true. Not anyone." She said, thinking about Cruz and a few others at the firehouse. Her expression on her face turned soft. "How did I get so lucky?" She asked as she shook her head and then continued to eat.

Antonio smiled and he leaned over, touching her hand gently. "We both got lucky." With his comment, she nodded her head, agreeing with him.

After a few minutes, they finished their breakfast and he stood up, picking up their plates. Sylvie shook her head at her boyfriend. "No, I got it. You cooked us breakfast, now I get to do the dishes."

Antonio looked at her, not wanting her to do it, but noticing that she was serious, he nodded his head. "Okay baby." He said, finally giving in.

About 30 minutes later, they were lying on the couch with Sylvie head on his chest. They were watching a movie, or rather she was, and he was just watching her. She wanted to watch a love movie, and after some convincing he agreed to it. Of course she would make the worst one, The Notebook.

Sylvie felt his eyes on her and she lifted her head. "Watch the movie, Antonio." She instructed in a cute authoritative way.

Antonio smirked but he just nodded his head. He glanced over at the movie, trying to get really into it for her, but his eyes drifted back to hers. He was bored of the movie, and he knew it wasn't going to get any better.

Antonio moved his hands to her stomach and she glanced over at him. "Antonio." She warned.

He just shrugged his shoulders. "What, now I can't touch my girlfriend?" He asked, innocently.

Sylvie laughed. "Fine, touch away. But I'm finishing this movie."

Antonio nodded his head with a smirk. "Watch it, I'm not stopping you." 'Yet' he thought.

Sylvie nodded her head and she turned her head back to the television. Antonio moved his hands under her shirt and he smirked at the reaction she gave him. But he wasn't doing this for anything sexual, not right now.

A few seconds later, he started tickling her and she yelped in surprise. "Antonio Dawson, stop doing that." She ordered between her fits of giggles.

Antonio laughed and he shook his head. "You're so ticklish baby."

Sylvie shook her head, trying to move away from him but he had her pinned against him. Seeing her struggles, he finally stopped his movements and he grinned at her. "Stop being so cute." He said with love and admiration in his eyes that caused her heart to skip a beat.

But she was still mad that he ruined the movie for her. It was at her favorite part too. "No." She frowned at him. "I told you to stop." She said as she tried to get up, but he stopped her.

"I'm sorry. Forgive me?" He asked with a pout.

She laughed and she nodded her head after a couple of seconds. "Always baby." She said as her breathing returned to normal.

"Kiss me then." He ordered her and she leaned up, placing a kiss on his lips. She moved over on top of him as the kiss deepened and the movie was long forgotten by her.


	14. Chapter 14: Tell me you need me

**A/N Just a short one. Enjoy!**

Sylvie had the longest shift of history it felt like. Every time one call ended, and they walked back into the firehouse, the alarm would go off again. It was like that for the remaining of the shift. It was one bad night in Chicago and she couldn't understand it. So when her shift was over, she was tempted on going home and sleeping for the next 24 hours, but who was she kidding? If she went to her apartment, she would only get like 3-4 hours of sleep because she was used to sleeping in Antonio's arms.

Sylvie said goodbye to everyone and then got into her car. She drove over to Antonio's apartment. She knew he had off today so it wasn't like she was waking him up and he couldn't go back to sleep. She started to get nervous though. What if he didn't want to see her yet? What if he gets mad? Shaking her head at the thoughts, she realized she was being stupid. Besides, she didn't want those thoughts to cause her to drive to her apartment and forget her plan. All she wanted, all she needed right now was her boyfriend.

She parked outside of his apartment building and she took her key out of the ignition and then she stepped out. She wished she would have stopped by her apartment though for clothes to sleep in, but at this moment, she didn't care. She walked into Antonio's apartment building and she took the elevator up to his floor. Her nerves were getting worst, but she decided to just ignore it. She was getting closer, there was no turning back now.

A few seconds later, she stepped off the elevator and walked over to his door. She exhaled a deep breath and then she rose her fists and knocked on his door. She didn't want to bang down his door this early in the morning and she figured it would take him a little to get to the door since he was still sleeping.

A few seconds later, he opened the door, only wearing sweatpants and his shirt was off. She smiled softly at him, although she was very nervous at this time. "I didn't mean to wake you up." She said, apologetically.

Antonio yawned as he moved his hands up to rubbed his eyes. "Is everything okay, Sylvie?" He asked, sleepily.

Sylvie nodded her head, trying to focus because his sleepily voice was intoxicating her this early in the morning. After a few seconds, she realized she needed to speak since he was staring at her. "I just wanted to see you?" She meant that as a statement but it came out as a question. "Long shift." She explained, and he just nodded in response.

Antonio reached out and he took her hand as he pulled her inside. "I'm going to have to give you a key so you can come in whenever you want." He said as he headed for the bedroom.

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. She felt bad for waking him up, but she figured they would both sleep better anyway if they were next to each other. She walked into his bedroom as she let go of his hand. "Can I borrow your shirt? I was too tired to stop at my apartment for clothes."

Antonio nodded his head as he crawled back into bed. "Of course. You know where it is, right?"

She wasn't sure if it was sad that she knew, or if it was a good thing because that meant that she was over his apartment a lot. She nodded her head as she leaned her hand up and started to take out her braid. She walked over to his dresser and took out a shirt and then she started to get undressed. A few minutes later, she climbed into bed next to him. She smiled happily as she felt his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She rested her head against his chest as she fell asleep almost immediately.

It was a little after 5 PM when she woke up, but of course she was alone. She yawned as she rubbed her eyes. Although she slept for a while, she still felt exhausted. She climbed out of bed and she walked in the living room, looking for Antonio.

She smiled when she walked in the kitchen, seeing him put away groceries. "You went shopping?" She said with a frowned.

Antonio turned his head when he heard her voice and he nodded his head. "I had to. Otherwise we would have starved tonight." He placed down the bag and he walked over to her. "Baby, what's wrong?" He asked.

Sylvie shook her head, forcing a smile. "I'm okay, really." She said as she walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. She walked over to the couch and she sat down.

Antonio nodded his head, not buying it. But he was going to figure it out once the food was put away. After a few minutes, he walked into the living room with cookies and he sat down next to her. He handed her the cookies. She looked at him with a puzzled look. "I just thought these would make you happy. Since you know, you love your junk food."

She smiled slightly at him as she took it from him and opened the cookies. She took one out and then she took a bite of the cookie, feeling a little better. After she finished the cookie, she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I know I'm being a little moody right now." She said, apologizing to him.

Antonio shook his head with a smile. "It's okay, you had a long shift. Our jobs gets like that."

Sylvie looked over at him as she studied him. She honestly didn't know how she got so lucky. He always took her bad moods, or well emotional moods. Hell, she woke him out of his sleep, and he didn't even yell at her, or made a smart remark, he just led her back to his bedroom. She placed the cookies down on the table as she moved over on his lap, straddling his waist.

Sylvie leaned forward, resting her forehead against his. "Tell me you need me." She said in urgent tone.

Antonio locked eyes with hers and he nodded his head. "I need you baby. I do. And maybe in a way that does terrified me." He confessed as he moved his hands in her hair, playing with her strand.

Sylvie nodded her head, agreeing with him. "I know baby. I know. It terrifies me too. More than you know." She said as she moved her hands down and took a hold of his hands in hers. "Especially because this relationship is still new to us."

Antonio smiled softly at her, which caused her heart beat to race faster. "One thing I learned is that time doesn't mean anything. Honestly, in the ambulance that day, I knew it. I knew you would become special to me. And I tried to fight it. I tried to forget about you. I tried to make up excuses on why we would have never worked."

Sylvie smiled as she squeezed his hands. "But I wouldn't let you make up excuses." She grinned at him and then she leaned down and pressed her lips against his.

The kiss was soft at first, but it turned into a desperate kiss. He leaned her against the couch as he pulled away from the kiss long enough to pull his shirt she was wearing over her head.


	15. Chapter 15: No Regrets

**A/N Brettonio related but also filled with a Sylvie/Gabby talk. Enjoy!**

Sylvie was practically living at Antonio's apartment when she wasn't at work. So most of her clothes were there. She was in the bathroom getting ready for another shift when she noticed marks on her neck. Oh no. Gabby was going to kill her if she had to look at the love marks on her neck that was caused by her brother. She warned Antonio to not leave marks where it is noticeable especially given what her job was.

After she was done getting ready and her hair was braided, she walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom where Antonio was. "I'm going to kill you." She glared at him.

Antonio looked up at her as he was tying his shoes, confused at why she was going to kill him. "Why? What the hell did I do?" He asked, still puzzled.

She walked over to him and she showed her neck to him. "This! You did this." She was still glaring at him.

Antonio shrugged his shoulders, not bothering to look. He was there, he knew what he did. He stood up, facing her. "And I don't have any regrets."

Although that should have calmed her down, it didn't. It made her more mad. "I am a paramedic, Antonio! I deal with patients all day long. Seeing the marks on my neck, it isn't very professional. And I don't know if you know this, but I try to be professional."

Antonio leaned forward and he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I know baby. You're like me in that way. But don't act innocent either. I have marks on my neck too." He pointed out.

He thought that would make her shut up, but of course it didn't. "But your partner also isn't my sister or brother." She pointed out which made him laugh. "What am I supposed to do?" She asked.

Antonio shrugged his shoulders. "Can't makeup cover it? Or just make a turtleneck sweater on." He said, simply. He walked out of the bedroom, shaking his head. Women were always stressing over the little problems.

Sylvie sighed. "Thanks for your help!" She called out after him. She, of course had makeup but it would take too long to try to cover it up. So she opt for the sweater.

An hour later, she walked into the firehouse, and everyone gave her an odd look because of the sweater. She shrugged her shoulders. "It's really cold out." She lamely lied. But luckily, it was cold out and they all knew how much she hated the cold.

They were all sitting down at the table, everyone in the firehouse, when Stella kept looking at Sylvie. Finally after a few minutes of her not saying anything, Sylvie said something. "What? What is it?" She asked.

Stella shrugged her shoulders, not saying anything. Sylvie turned her head to asked Gabby how Louie was doing when Stella gasped. "What is on your neck?" She asked. Sylvie wanted to die right there. If it was just her and Stella, she wouldn't have cared. But everyone was in here.

Sylvie laughed nervously, shaking her head. "I have no clue what you're talking about."

Stella wasn't buying it though. "Uh huh." She said as she leaned forward and pulled down the sweater that was covering her neck. "Whoa." Stella said with a laugh. "Looks like someone thought you were candy."

Sylvie's face turned bright red. She wished she could just crawl under a rock and die. She wanted to kill her boyfriend right now. 'Damn you' Antonio Dawson, she thought.

Since Gabby was close by when this was going on, she just shook her head. "Sylvie…." she warned.

Sylvie looked over at Gabby. "Hey. Blame Stella. She didn't have to yank my sweater down to see it." She pointed out.

Gabby shook her head, wanting to change the topic but Stella didn't want to do that. "I gotta say Sylvie, I didn't think this would last between you two."

Sylvie laughed. "Thanks for the vote of confidence there, Stella. Appreciate it." She said as she moved her sweater back up to covered her neck. She was surprised that no one else said anything, but she was sure they wanted to.

After a few minutes later, Gabby stood up and Sylvie looked at her apologetically. She knew she was happy for them, but at the same time, she also realized how hard, or well weird it was for her.

Gabby walked over to the beds and sat down on her spot. She took out her phone and she texted Antonio.

Look Antonio, I absolutely love you and Sylvie together. But could you, you know, not leave any marks where I can see it?

She hit send and she didn't expect a response for at least an hour, knowing that he could be busy with a case, so she was surprised when her phone went off, signaling a text message.

Hey, just be happy not all of them are visible sis.

At that text message, she just wanted to throw up. She was used to growing up and hearing all her friends saying how hot her brother was. But none of her friends actually got with him. So, all of this was new for her. She wasn't even going to respond back to him when he texted her again.

So, I'm taking it that the sweater didn't work, huh? Did Sylvie say she was mad at me?

Gabby was a little confused on what he meant, but then she started to think about it. The reason why Sylvie and Antonio were attracted to each other in the first place was because they had a lot in common and one of those things were they both loved their jobs. She figured instead of shutting out her friend and partner she would help her. She texted back Antonio real fast.

I don't know. She didn't seem mad. But I'm sure in 24 hours she will feel better.

She hit back send and then stood up. She walked into the locker room and then into her locker and took out her bag of makeup. She walked around the firehouse, looking for Sylvie. She found her talking to Cruz, but she didn't seem upset anymore, the events that happened earlier were long gone. She walked over to Sylvie, "Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt." She began as she looked at Cruz. "But I need Sylvie so we can do inventory." Cruz brought the lie and Sylvie was about to say they didn't need to when Gabby cut her eyes at her, so Sylvie just shut up.

As Cruz walked away, Gabby looked at her. "I know I have some work I need to improve when it comes to you dating my brother, but that is my issue, not yours. When I broke up with Casey, you were there for me in ways no one else was. If it wasn't for you, who knows who I would have moved in with. So, to say thank you let me cover up your marks." She said, in a little disgust tone, but tried to hide it.

Sylvie smiled as she jumped up, hugging Gabby. "Thank you thank you. I would have done it earlier, but I didn't have time." She explained, letting her know that she knew how to do it.

Gabby pulled away from the hug, smiling. "I know. Come on, Sylvie."

They decided to cover up the lie from Cruz, the best place would be in the back of the ambulance.

Sylvie took a deep breath as Gabby was putting the makeup on her neck. "You know, I am crazy about your brother. This isn't just a fling." She didn't want Gabby to think that all she and Antonio did was have sex.

Gabby laughed and she nodded her head. "Remember Sylvie, we were on a double date together. I know. And I also know he is crazy about you too."

This made Sylvie break out in a huge grin. "He is, isn't he?" She said, her eyes sparkling.

Gabby smiled and she nodded her head. "Just don't be mad at him over this. Guys don't really think too far into the future, you know?"

Sylvie nodded her head. "I wasn't mad because of what he did. I was just mad because having these marks on my neck isn't very professional."

Gabby nodded her head and she smiled. God, they were really perfect for each other. She finished her neck and she leaned back. "I never thought anyone would take their job more serious, or as serious, as my brother. You remember how I got us in trouble?" She asked and Sylvie was puzzled.

"Which time? You kind of always gets us in trouble." Sylvie laughed, not trying to hurt her friend's feelings but it was true.

"When I threw the woman's phone. And you said you followed the rules?" She asked, in which Sylvie just nodded. "That's Antonio to the fullest. And you may think he probably broken the rules before, he is a cop after all. But not my brother. He is the most honest cop I know. The only time he ever broken the rules a little was when Diego was kidnapped."

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "I always follow the rules too, but if my child was missing, I would definitely break the rules too." She pointed out. "Also, Antonio isn't just an honest cop, he is an honest man. If there is one man I would feel like wouldn't ever cheat on me, it is Antonio." She said, gushing about her wonderful, amazing boyfriend.

Before Gabby could respond, the alarm went off and she smiled at her friend. "Got done just in time. And it looks good too." She said, admiring her work.


	16. Chapter 16: Keep You Forever

**A/N Overprotective Antonio Dawson is the best. Enjoy!**

Sylvie and Gabby were on the way to a call, and of course Gabby was driving. Which Sylvie had no problem with since she was busy texting Antonio.

 _Hey. Are we still on after shift?_

Sylvie hit send and she smiled quietly to herself when a few seconds later, her phone signaled that she had a new text message.

 _Of course. I'll see you then. Be careful today._

Sylvie couldn't stop smiling which caused Gabby to glared at her. "You know, seeing you this happy over a text is unhealthy."

Sylvie laughed, shaking her head. "It's not a text I'm happy over, silly. It's who I'm texting. And what is waiting for me after shift. Just got to make it through this shift." Sylvie said as she placed her phone in her pocket.

Gabby was still glaring at her, but in a teasing way. "It really makes me sick knowing my brother is the reason for your happiness." She knew what that sounded like, so she was shaking her head. "No, I mean I love that my brother is making you happy. You deserve it, Sylvie. But it's sickening to me because that's my brother and" she shook her head, not finishing the sentence. And luckily they were on the scene.

"Don't worry Gabby, we're just both excited because we're both off tomorrow and can actually go out to breakfast tomorrow. And then we're grabbing the kids for a movie." Sylvie said as she opened the door and stepped out of the ambulance.

Gabby smiled and she nodded her head. She knew how tough it had to be to not always see him when she wanted to. Gabby didn't have that problem since she worked with her boyfriend. But she still sympathized for her best friend and brother.

They walked over to the patient, putting on gloves as they examined what was going on. As soon as they saw the patient, they knew it was something drug related. Gabby leaned down to the guy whose eyelids were drooping. "Sir, can you tell us what you're on so we can help?" She asked the guy.

The guy looked over at Gabby and Sylvie, but they could tell he was incoherent. Sylvie looked over at Gabby. "Let's just get in the ambo I can try to calm down his high." She suggested and Gabby nodded her head.

Since the guy was pretty skinny, they figured they could just walked him to the ambo. It was a little tough at first, but they dealt with heavier guys and they brought him over to the ambo and they both lifted him on the gurney.

Gabby looked over at Sylvie with a worried expression on her face. "I'll be fine. Just go."

"Fine. But you know since you are dating my brother now I have to look after you more than usual or he'll kill me." Gabby said to which Sylvie rolled her eyes to. But Gabby just shut the door and then ran to the driver's side of the ambo and got inside.

Sylvie looked down at the guy. "Okay, sir, please try to stay calm. I'm going to try my best to help you." Sylvie said as she leaned up and grabbed an IV. Once she stuck in it, she dug around looking for a medicine that would help him. She couldn't understand why people would do this to themselves.

After finding the medicine, she took it out of the package and put it in his IV. At first, nothing was happening. "Come on. Come on." She urged.

She thought it was working because the guy opened his eyes. But before she could react, the guy gripped her wrists in a harsh way. She bit down on her lip in pain. "Let go!" She managed to choke out in pain.

Gabby heard her and she was tempted to pull away but they were so close. "Brett!" She called out. "What is going on?"

But Sylvie couldn't say anything, she was not only scared but she was in pain. She knew it wasn't the guy doing this, but whatever she gave him must have gave him a bad reaction. "Just drive Dawson! Hurry!" She said, looking around for something to give this guy to relax. But with his hand on her wrists, she was out of luck.

Finally, she heard the ambo stopped and Gabby stepping out, calling for help. She saw the ambo door opened and Will grabbing the guy off of Sylvie. "Thanks, Will." She said as she looked down at her wrists, which was now bruising up. "I think he had a bad reaction off this medicine."

Will nodded his head as he pulled the patient out of the ambo. "Sadly, most people do." He looked over at her wrists. "You need to get checked out, Sylvie. He could have broken it."

Sylvie nodded her head. She just wanted to go back to the firehouse but she knew Boden would just send her back anyway. She shut the door of the ambo with her foot, looking around for Gabby. She walked in the hospital expecting her to fill out paperwork but still couldn't find her. She walked up to Maggie. "Have you seen, Dawson?" She asked, knowing in the back of her mind where she was at.

Maggie shook her head. "No, but Dr. Choi can see you." Damn, how did she know she needed to see a Dr? She must have saw the look on her face and she smiled at her. "Dr. Halstead told me you needed to see a Dr."

Sylvie nodded her head as she walked in the room Maggie told her to go inside and she waited for Dr. Choi.

After 30 minutes, Dr. Choi walked out as Sylvie looked down at her wrists. It was sprained but it was going to be okay, and no reason for her to miss work. Maybe the rest of the shift, but that was it. She felt lucky, at least she did until she saw her boyfriend entered the room.

"I'm going to kill Gabby. She didn't need to call you. You're working!" She said, her voice full of annoyance.

But it was no where near how annoyed Antonio was, or yet, angry. She never saw him this angry before. At least not when it came to her. "So, you're telling me that you would have never told me. Come on, Sylvie. You're my girlfriend, I need to know this stuff."

Sylvie stood up and walked over to him. "I would have told you when I got off shift, Antonio. And just because we're together doesn't mean you need to know every aspect of my life. You make it seem like this guy meant to hurt me." She pointed out. "He was having a bad reaction off a medicine."

Antonio couldn't believe she was defending this manic. "Sylvie, listen, I understand you want to see the good in everybody. And trust me, I love it. But this guy put bruises on you, Sylvie. And you expect me to stay calm?" He asked, turning to walked out of the room.

Sylvie knew he was going to find the patient, and knowing how respected he was around here, he could find him. She walked after him, grabbing his arm. "Antonio, please." She pleaded with him. "Just leave it alone. I'm okay. I am." She said as she let go of his arm and placed her hand on his face. "I'm okay." She repeated, trying to get him to understand this.

It seemed to worked because in the next second, he started to calm down. "I'm still going to have a little talk with him later." He promised, not caring if she liked it or not. "No one, no one messes with my girl." He leaned forward and he kissed her cheek, not a big fan on PDA but also wanting her to know that he cared deeply for her.

Sylvie nodded her head and she smiled feeling his lips on her cheek. "Fine, but if you promise me one thing. When you talk to him, you act like a detective and not an overprotective boyfriend looking to seek revenge." She said as she turned and headed outside of the hospital.

Antonio nodded his head as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "You make it sound like being an overprotective boyfriend is a bad thing."

Sylvie turned her head to looked at him. "It's not. It's very sexy actually." She admitted. "But the guy wasn't in his right mind. You can't blame him for doing something that was out of his control."

Antonio sighed and he nodded his head. "I just hate knowing someone hurt you. I feel like I failed as a boyfriend."

Sylvie stopped to looked at him. "Hey, this is my job. Sometimes getting hurt comes with it. Just like getting hurt comes with yours." She said, trying to comfort him. Then she realized she had no way getting to her apartment, her car was at the firehouse. "I know you're still on duty but is there a way you can drive me to the firehouse to grab my car so I can drive home?"

Antonio nodded his head as he headed for his truck. "Of course. But do you just want to go by my apartment? You're going to end up there later anyway, and we both know it. Unless you want to go to your apartment and just relax."

Sylvie laughed at his comment. "Wait–you sound pretty confident that I'm going to come to your apartment later."

Antonio walked over to his truck and he opened the passenger door. "You really think after everything that happened today, after shift I'm going to spend the night alone? If you think that, then baby you're nuts."

Sylvie smirked as she stepped into the passenger side. "You know, if I told anyone how sweet you are, they would think I was lying."

Antonio shook his head at her words. "That's because you're my girl, can't treat you like the rest, when you're not the rest."

Antonio shut the door as he walked over to the driver's side and he got inside. He buckled his seatbelt as he started the truck and pulled away. "You never answered my question though. Do you just want to go to my apartment?" He asked, turning to glanced at her and then he looked back at the road.

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "If you trust me alone in your apartment." She said, jokingly.

Antonio laughed and he nodded his head. "I do. Nothing you can really do in my apartment anyway, I'm too organized for that."

Antonio dropped Sylvie off at his apartment after she talked to Boden. She tried to convince Antonio she could drive to his apartment but she finally gave in knowing that he needed to do this. He handed her his apartment key as he gave her a kiss. He felt better knowing that she was at his apartment when he got off shift.

Antonio called Voight and apologized for his long errand but that he needed to make one more stop. Voight agreed and told him to do what he had to do. Everyone knew that Sylvie and Antonio were a couple, so this was just something he had to do.

He parked outside of Med, and he turned off his truck, stepping out of it. He hoped that he could keep his cool, but he wasn't sure if he could. When he was driving Sylvie to his apartment, he couldn't help but glanced over at her wrists and noticed the bruises. She tried to act like it didn't hurt, but he could tell it did. That just didn't sit well with Antonio. Sylvie was just going to have to understand that being with him, he was always going to protect her at all costs.

Antonio walked inside the hospital, asking for the guy that Gabby and Sylvie brought in earlier. Maggie typed some things in the computer and told him the room number. Maybe he would have had a chance to survive if Maggie saw that this was more than just a police investigation.

Antonio walked into his room and noticed that he was fully alert right now. He shook his head, knowing that would make Sylvie happy. In a lot of ways they were so similar, and in a lot of ways they were so different. But maybe this hit him more personal than Sylvie because he was the one that rushed to Med, not knowing if his girlfriend was okay.

The guy looked up at Antonio and blinked a few times. Anyone that looked at Antonio right now would know that this wasn't a police matter. He looked too angry for this to be a police matter. He shut the door and he walked further into the room. "You may not know this-" Antonio began. "But the paramedics that brought you in were my sister and my girlfriend."

He could tell the guy was getting scared, so he must have heard what he did. The guy started sputtering out excuses. "I was having a bad reaction! I didn't mean to hurt her."

Antonio glared at him. "Look, I'm not here to hear your excuses. Personally, let's be honest, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my girlfriend. I just don't like it when someone hurts my girl. But you see, I promised her I wouldn't hurt you. And I rather not cause her any more stress." He said, walking towards him. "But I do want you to do something. When you're out of here, go to firehouse 51, look for Sylvie Brett and apologize to her. If you don't do it within a week, I will track you down and then I will hurt you." He said, glaring at him. Ooh, if looks could kill, this guy would be dead right now. "And that is not a threat, it's a promise. Oh and think I won't find you?" He said, lifting up his shirt to show him his badge. "I will."

With that last piece of information, Antonio swung open the door and walked out. There, he did exactly what Sylvie asked him to do, so he couldn't get in trouble.

A few long hours later and Antonio walked into his apartment. He shut the door behind him and locked it. He walked into the kitchen and he leaned against the doorframe, just looking at Sylvie cooking dinner, or well dancing and cooking dinner. After a few seconds, he cleared his throat and he laughed as she jumped and turned off the music on the radio. "Shouldn't you be resting?" He asked as he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Sylvie shook her head. "No, but I have a feeling you want me to say yes." She smiled as she noticed that his mood gotten better….which only meant one thing. "You didn't kill him, did you?" She asked as she continued cooking, while his arms were still wrapped around her.

Antonio laughed and he shook his head. "No. Although I wished I could have." He said as he turned her around, picking up her wrists with his hands. "Are they feeling better?" He asked, his voice filled with concerned.

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "Yes. I just put ice on them and the swelling went down." Her face all of a sudden turned serious. "Hey. I feel like I owe you an apology. I know you're just trying to protect me and all but I didn't handle it very well." She said and he nodded his head. "I'm just not used to anyone wanting to protect me that way. This is all still new to me." She added.

Antonio nodded his head at her words. "I know baby. I know. You just better get used to it because I am always going to do everything in my power to protect you. That is one thing that is never going to change."

Her face broke out in a huge smile. "And there is something else that is never going to change." She said which made Antonio puzzled. "My feelings for you. I promise as long as you want me, I'm here." She said, leaning in and kissing his lips.

Antonio pulled her closer to him and then he pulled away after a few seconds. "I think….I'd like to keep you forever." He said with a smile. "If that is alright with you."

Sylvie smirked, nodding her head. "Nothing sounds more perfect than that." She gave him another quick kiss. "Let me get back to dinner before I burn it." She laughed as she turned her attention back to the food.


	17. Chapter 17: We're a Family

**A/N A bunch of Sylvie/Eva cuteness. Enjoy!**

Antonio and Sylvie were lying on the couch and they were watching a movie when they heard the door open and shut aggressively. Sylvie lifted her head from Antonio's chest to see who it was. She knew it had to be one of the kids, and she certainly wasn't surprised when it was Eva.

Antonio took a deep breath as he was about to stand up. "I guess I should talk to her." Sylvie shook her head, grabbing Antonio's hand.

"I know this is hard, but let her come to you." Sylvie said, which stopped Antonio's movements. He nodded his head as he leaned back against the couch. "It's hard being a parent at times." He confessed, wishing that he still had Laura to back him up, but since she decided her boyfriend was more important than her kids, that was impossible.

Sylvie nodded her head and she squeezed his hand that she was still holding. They were silent for a few minutes when she heard Eva's door cracked and she called out for Sylvie. "Sylvie? Can you come here?"

Sylvie looked over at Antonio in confusion but she stood up, knowing whatever the girl needed, she would happily obliged. She looked at Antonio who nodded his head letting her know it was okay. He was actually relieved that Sylvie could help Eva.

Sylvie walked over to Eva with a concerned expression on her face. "Is everything okay, sweetie?" She asked in a gentle tone.

Eva wiped away the tears from her face, the makeup smearing down her face. "Not really. Normally my mom would help me with this but—" her voice trailed off which broke Sylvie's heart. What kind of mother wasn't there for her daughter in her teenage years?

Sylvie looked over at Antonio and then looked back at Eva. "It's okay, whatever you need, I'm here." She smiled softly at her.

"Can we talk in my room?" Eva asked. She loved her dad, she really did, but she didn't need him to know what happened. Basically because he was an overprotective father.

Sylvie nodded her head as she walked in her room. She wanted to be there for Eva, but if it was anything serious, she wanted her to know she needed to tell Antonio. She wanted his kids to like her of course, but she couldn't keep a lie from Antonio. She sat down on the bed next to Eva and she took her hand. "Sweetie, you know I'm here for you, always, okay? But if this is something your dad needs to know, I can't lie to him."

Eva gave him a small smile and she nodded her head. "I know, Sylvie. I wouldn't ask you to keep anything from my dad if I thought it was going to make him mad. I promise it isn't anything serious. In that sense anyway."

Sylvie nodded her head and she let go of her hand to move her hand to wipe the tear that threatened to fall from her eyes. "What's going on?"

Eva was trying to get the words to come out of her mouth, but it wouldn't. She laid her head down on Sylvie's lap as she started to sobbed uncontrollably.

Sylvie moved her hands in her hair as she tried to soothe her. "is it your boyfriend?" She asked which just made Eva sobbed harder. Damn it, now Antonio was going to want to kill a teenage boy. And he was going to blame it all on Sylvie since she was the one to say that the boy was nice and would never hurt Eva.

Sylvie remembered her first heart break, she wasn't as young as Eva, but the pain was unbearable. "Did he break up with you?" She asked, trying to understand what happened.

After a few minutes, Eva tried to calm herself down to tell Sylvie what happened. "He was trying to pressure me to have sex for the longest and I kept saying no. I see all these girls my age getting pregnant, I don't want that for myself. Besides, my dad is a detective, he knows how to hide bodies. So I kept using that as an excuse. I honestly thought he loved me because whenever I said no, he said that he would wait for me. Anyway, the party I went tonight I—-I–I" Sylvie's heart dropped to her stomach. She hoped Eva wasn't telling her what she thought she was saying. "I caught him in bed with my—-with my best friend." At those words, she leaned against Sylvie, crying even harder.

Sylvie placed her hand on her back, running her hands up and down her back, trying to comfort her. She now realized why Eva didn't want to tell Antonio. Hell, she wasn't telling Antonio. The important thing is that Eva is safe, and still a virgin.

"Please don't tell my dad, please Sylvie. I know he loves me and that's why he's so overprotective of me. But he doesn't need to know, okay? I'll tell him eventually. But just not now." Eva said, pleading with Sylvie.

Sylvie nodded her head, agreeing with her. "Hey, in my eyes, as long as you're safe, it's not my place to tell him. You can tell him in your own time, if you ever want to. Trust me, I never told my parents any of my heartbreaks. Although, you are closer to your dad than I ever was with my parents." She said, hoping to calm her down. Which she did because she lifted her head and wiped her tears.

"You were cheated on too?" Eva asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

Sylvie couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. She nodded her head. "Yes. Why is that a surprise?"

Eva shrugged her shoulders. "Because you're so pretty. I mean, you got my dad to fall in love with you in what, a week?"

Sylvie laughed but then her expression turned serious. "Sweetie, you're pretty too. Any guy would be lucky enough to be with you. When a guy cheats it isn't a reflection of who you are, but who they are. You have your own life ahead of you. Look at me, I went through my bad heartbreaks until I met your father."

Whatever Sylvie said made Eva calmed down a lot. "It isn't even him I'm upset about. But my best friend?" She sighed as she stood up and started taking out her hair. "We were best friends for years. How could she?"

Sylvie didn't have experience in this department, sure she got cheated on before, but the guy didn't sleep with her best friend. "Then sweetie, she wasn't your real best friend to begin with."

"And the sad part is, they have been doing this behind my back for months!" She exclaimed. "How could I be so stupid?"

Sylvie walked over to her as she started to help her with her makeup. "How could you have known? They hid it well."

Eva sighed and she nodded her head. "I just don't want to face school on Monday."

"This is what you do, you go into school and you keep your head held high. It might be a rough couple of days, but you're Eva Dawson, daughter of Antonio and Laura Dawson. You'll be fine." Sylvie promised as she pulled her in a hug.

When Eva first found out about Sylvie and her dad dating, she was less than thrilled, but now that her mom didn't want to know anything that was going on with her life, she was happy to have a good woman role model. She hugged her back and she finally smiled for the first time all night. Well since she first found out the news.

Sylvie pulled away and smiled at her. "You want to watch a movie with me and your dad? We have ice cream!" Sylvie beamed at her.

Eva smiled and she nodded her head. "Sure. If you're okay with me ruining your date with my dad."

Sylvie shook her head. "You won't be ruining it, sweetie." She said as they walked out of the room and into the living room.

Antonio looked up as they entered the living room with a concerned look on his face. Sylvie was the first one to speak up. "Ready for movie night?" She asked her boyfriend as she sat next to him, lying her head against his shoulder, a gesture to let him know everything was fine.

Antonio wanted to ask what happened but then decided against it. He trusted Sylvie and knew if it was important she would tell him. He watched as Eva walked in the kitchen and walked back out a few minutes later with ice cream.

They all decided on watching the fast and the furious. Usually Sylvie loved romantic movies, but she knew right now that wouldn't be the best movie for Eva.

After the movie was over, Eva announced that she was heading for bed. Both Sylvie and Antonio said goodnight as she headed into her bedroom and shut the door.

Antonio looked down at her with a smile on his face. "How did you manage to make her feel better? Usually only Laura could."

Sylvie looked over at her boyfriend and she shrugged her shoulders. "Told you I was good with kids. Besides, I was a teenager once before. All of us females go through the same things."

Antonio looked at her with a concerned look on his face. "Did she—-you know—um."

Sylvie laughed at how uncomfortable he looked at asking that question. She shook her head. "No. She's fine. Her and her boyfriend just decided they wanted different things." She said in a tone to just leave it at that and she was relieved that he listened.

Instead of asking more questions, he leaned over and he started kissing her neck. " .me." He said between kisses on her neck.

Sylvie laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and she leaned her head to the side for better access. "I won't. I'm here, forever." She promised as she enjoyed the feelings his lips on her neck caused her. He pulled away after a few seconds, and she groaned at the loss of contact.

"Thank you." He said as he looked deeply in her eyes and he realized something. As much as he already knew he loved her, he just never thought too far ahead in their future. He only thought about their plans the next time they had off together. But after knowing that Sylvie stepped up when Laura didn't care enough to do so herself, he realized that he could himself having a baby with her. And not just a baby, but he could see himself marrying this woman.

Sylvie smiled as she placed her hand on his face. "For what?" She asked him.

"Not many people would accept my kids. Especially because of the age difference. And never once did I hear you complain or anything. You're just amazing."

Sylvie smiled softly at her boyfriend. "First off, I don't care about the age difference between us. And anyone who does, can honestly kiss my ass. Your kids are always going to be your first priority and truthfully that's what I love about you. You never once chose me over them, and I would never expect you to. We're a family, Antonio. And a family always looks out for each other." She said as she leaned forward and kissed him.

After what she said, he didn't want to talk anymore. No words could say anything better than that. Without breaking the kiss, he lifted her in his arms and he walked towards his bedroom.


	18. Chapter 18: Date Night

**A/N Not my favorite story but I hope you still can enjoy it!**

Antonio and Sylvie were on a date night at a restaurant. Usually for date night, they either stayed at his apartment or they go to Molly's, but he wanted tonight to be special. Just cause she deserved it.

Sylvie smiled as she took a sip of her wine. "You know, I would have been happier to just order in and watch movies with you all night."

Antonio nodded his head. "Like they said, the woman that never asks for much, deserves everything." He winked at her but then his expression turned serious. "But seriously, you deserve it. I just wish we could go out every night."

Sylvie shook her head, smiling at him. "Honestly it doesn't matter where we're at, as long as we're together, I'm happy." She confessed as she looked around the restaurant. "But this place is really beautiful." She complimented.

Antonio smiled at her and he nodded his head, agreeing with her. "Just not as beautiful as you." He said, looking at her.

She was looking beautiful tonight with her blue dress that showed off her curves but it was also still classy. He was wearing a suit.

She smiled as she shook her head. "If you were any other guy, I would think you are up to something."

Antonio looked at her with a confused expression. "Like what?"

Sylvie laughed as she picked up her glass again and took a sip. She was about to say something when the waiter came over to them. She was telling him her order when she noticed that he couldn't stop staring at her….weirdly. But she figured it was just in her head. After Antonio ordered, the waiter left and she took a deep breath.

Antonio noticed her discomfort and he leaned over, grabbing her hand. "Baby, are you okay?" He asked in a concerned tone.

She laughed, feeling silly. "Yeah, it was nothing. Guy was just looking at me weird. It was probably nothing."

He looked over at the guy at the other table and he shrugged his shoulders. "Do you know him from anywhere?"

Sylvie looked over at the guy and then she turned her head back to Antonio. "No, I don't think so. I mean, I save people's lives on a daily basis, it could be that."

Antonio nodded his head as he let go of her hand. Usually he was on top of these things, but he wasn't going to let Sylvie out of his sight since she was uncomfortable.

"If you want to leave and go somewhere else, we can. I don't want our night to be ruined."

Sylvie smiled at her sweet loving boyfriend. "Hey, no one can ruin our night. This is our night."

Antonio smiled and he nodded his head. He decided maybe changing the subject would eased her mind. "So, what are you doing for Christmas?" He asked her.

Sylvie thought about it for a moment and then shrugged her shoulders. "Since I don't live near my family, I usually just spend it picking up another shift if I don't to work it already." She confessed.

Antonio shook his head, amused. "You really love your job, don't you?" He laughed. "Why don't you take a few days off and visit your family?" He questioned.

Sylvie shook her head. "We aren't very close. They were mad that I chose to move to Chicago. They told me that I was making a huge mistake. I asked them to see where I was coming from and that I needed a new start but they didn't understand." She said in a sad voice but then she gave him a small smile. She knew how family orientated Antonio was.

Antonio nodded his head. "Kind of works out for me anyway." He smiled softly at her. "Me and Laura splits the holiday. She has them in the morning and in the evening I get them. So, do you want to spend Christmas with us?"

Sylvie looked at him as she bit down on her bottom lip. "I mean—I would love to. But are you sure they won't mind?"

Antonio laughed as he picked up her hand and pressed a soft kiss to the back of her hand. "Of course not. My kids aren't little kids, Sylvie. And besides, they adore you." He felt lucky that the first woman he allowed his kids to meet, they liked her from the start.

Sylvie looked up as the waiter came back over with their plates, which this time Antonio took notice of the look he gave Sylvie. The guy wouldn't even look at Antonio, which made him angry. Obviously by the looks of it, anyone could tell they were on a date. After a few seconds, Antonio couldn't take it any longer.

"Um. Excuse me? Do we have a problem here?" He asked. The guy finally turned his eyes to Antonio and shook his head.

"No problem here." He said and Antonio thought that would be the end of that but he should have known better.

"Just wondering if this is a date or you know—-a—" he said looking between Sylvie and Antonio. "Just making sure I don't need to involve the cops."

At that statement, Antonio laughed. And Sylvie could tell by that laugh, it wasn't a good laugh. More like 'run for your life' kind of laugh. She placed her hand on Antonio, shaking her head.

But of course it didn't take the hint and he let go of her hand. "I got this baby." He stood up, looking at the waiter. "First off, do you need the involve the cops? I don't think so…because you see—" He said lifting up his shirt, revealing a badge and a gun. "I am a detective, and have been for years. You call the cops and they show up, they will laugh. Second, does this woman look like a prostitute? I would certainly say we look like we're on a date because we're in a relationship. Is it because of my age, huh?" He said, letting his anger consumed him at this moment.

Sylvie could tell that the waiter was getting nervous, so he just shook his head. But Antonio wasn't allowing that to be all he did.

Antonio walked over to Sylvie and he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Now apologize to her. Because I will have you know, she's a paramedic and the best one I ever saw. Now if it was me, and I saw you needing my help, I would walk away laughing. But this beautiful woman wouldn't." He said.

The waiter saw how serious Antonio was and he nodded his head. "I'm sorry." He said as he turned to walked away but Antonio stopped him.

"Um, not so fast. I want to speak to your manager or whoever is in charge tonight." He said in an authorize tone. Sylvie just sat there shaking her head, amused. He nodded his head and he walked away.

"I should just go over there and knock him on his ass for lying." He said as he lifted his hands from her shoulders and walked over to his chair and sat down again.

Sylvie looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Lying? About what?" She questioned.

Antonio laughed. "I'm a detective, Sylvie. I seen plenty of Johns and Prostitutes having dinner and trust me, it looks nothing like we're doing. Their foots are always touching, and you can tell from a mile away that it's just a cover up dinner. He knew we were on a date, and he wanted to know in a subtle way what possessed you to date an older man." He said, shaking his head.

Sylvie was amused as she took a sip of her wine. "Good detective work there." She said with a twinkle in her eye.

Before he could say anything, the manager walked over to him asking him what the problem was. After showing him his badge and telling him what the waiter accused them of doing, the manager apologized profusely and said that the meal would be free for the trouble. He smiled softly at Sylvie when they walked away.

"Ask my girlfriend why she's with me in that kind of way, damn right we're getting a free meal." He laughed and he shrugged his shoulders.

Sylvie looked at him and she smiled suspiciously at him. "Admit it, Antonio Dawson, you were jealous." She said as she picked up her fork and started eating.

Antonio laughed. "Like you wouldn't have been." He said, neither denying or agreeing with her.

Sylvie swallowed her food and she nodded her head. "I would have been. But unlike you, I'm not a cop. I don't know how to threaten people without actually threatening them." She pointed out with a laugh.

After a few minutes, Antonio pushed his food to the side and Sylvie looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Let's get out of here." He announced and they both stood up, as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.


	19. Chapter 19: Our Miracle Baby

**A/N This is a long story, very long because it was a short story on Tumblr. Enjoy!**

Sylvie looked down at the pregnancy test in front of her. "Two more minutes." She whispered to herself.

How the hell did this happen? She was on the pill, and they used protection. They didn't even discussed children yet. Hell, she wasn't even sure if he wanted anymore kids. I mean, he didn't get a vasectomy obviously, so maybe he wouldn't rule it out. But they just started saying I love you. Now it's like 'I love you and even if we break up, we're tied together forever.' She sighed. Maybe she was thinking too much into it.

She heard the timer go off on her phone and she took a deep breath. She already knew what the results were. She was throwing up and couldn't eat the things she once enjoyed eating. She always felt sick to her stomach, and forget about how tired she had been.

So, once she picked up the pregnancy test and saw two pink lines, she knew. She placed her hand on her stomach, and she would have been overjoyed if it wasn't for the fact that not only was the father of her child in the other room, but he had no clue what was going on.

Antonio had been telling her for over a week to go see a Doctor, but since Sylvie knew what was wrong, she just kept pushing it off. She had been in here for a little while so she needed to wrapped it up shortly. But then out of nowhere, her nerves were getting to her.

"No. I can't do this. What if he doesn't want this baby?" She was working herself up so bad that she didn't even realized that she wasn't whispering anymore.

And the worst part was, Antonio heard everything.

Because she was so freaked out when she finally got enough guts to buy the pregnancy test, when she walked into the bathroom, the door was open ajar.

Antonio pushed the door open further, looking at her. "Baby? What baby?" He questioned her. His eyes traveled down to the pregnancy test in her hands.

"Sylvie…" He said as he finally got her to turn around to looked at him.

"I'm pregnant." She said nervously, biting down on her bottom lip. "I know we haven't talked about a baby and honestly I don't know how this happened! I was on the pill and we used protection at all times. I promise I didn't do this on purpose….I just don't—-" She was rambling and she didn't seem like she would stop anytime soon, so Antonio walked up to her and he pressed his lips against hers.

He pulled away a few minutes later and he smiled at her. "I would never accuse you of trying to trap me with a baby. When we made love, it was both of our choices so even if you weren't on the pill or we didn't use protection, it is my fault just as much as yours." He looked at her expression on her face and his expression turned so tender. More tenderly than she ever saw. "Baby, no. Why would you take this on yourself?" He questioned.

Sylvie shrugged her shoulders. "We never talked about babies or anything. For all I know, you didn't want anymore. I just don't want you to look at this baby as a mistake."

Antonio looked at her, his eyes widened. "I would never think that. Do you think that I'm that type of guy?" He asked in surprised.

Sylvie sighed, shaking her head. "No, of course not. I'm just very emotional right now. I kept having nightmares over the last few weeks of you realizing that you still love Laura, or other times that you never loved me at all, and it was just lust."

Antonio laughed at how silly that sounded. "Why would I even want to go back to Laura? We're divorced. I never in my life moved backward, only forward. You're my present and my future, baby. Come here." He pulled her in his arms, rubbing her back. "I love you. And if this is how you're going to be for the next 9 months, I will tell you every day that I love you. It isn't lust, never was. Of course I think you're the most beautiful woman in the world, but I always saw more than that in you."

Sylvie started to relaxed against him and she nodded her head. "I told you, I've been emotional."

Antonio laughed and he nodded his head. After a few minutes, he pulled away from the hug. "This is our baby and I'm so happy. Okay? So happy." He saw the smile on her face which made his smile grow wider. He moved his hands down and he placed it against her stomach. "Our baby." He repeated again, which made Sylvie feel guilty of doing all of this behind his back.

The next day, they both agreed that telling everyone right now would be the best option. When everyone saw Antonio walking into the firehouse with Sylvie, they a turned their heads to them.

Gabby was the first one to stand up and to also speak up. "What's going on guys?" She asked in wondered.

Sylvie looked over at Antonio and then back at Gabby. Antonio placed his hand on her back for comfort. Everyone was in the room, even Chief Boden.

"I'm pregnant!" Sylvie announced in a happier voice than when she announced it to Antonio a day prior.

They all screamed in joy and surprised, but Antonio and Sylvie could tell they were really happy for them. Gabby came over to Antonio and gave him a hug. "Congratulations bro!"

Antonio smiled and hugged her back. "Thanks sis." He said as he pulled away from the hug.

After everyone gave them their best wishes, he turned his attention to Gabby and Matt. He took Sylvie's hand in his as he began with what he had to say. "We know it's pretty early to talk about this, but what time like the present, right?" He said with a smile. "Since you guys are married and you are my sister." At that moment, Sylvie piped in. "And my best friend." Antonio looked over at Sylvie and he smiled at her. They both nodded their heads, agreeing to go at the same time. "We'd like for you guys to be our baby's godparents."

Sylvie and Gabby hugged each other, while Matt and Antonio gave each other's handshakes which turned into a hug.

After that was done with, Sylvie walked Antonio to the door. "I'll see you after shift?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

Antonio smiled and he nodded his head. "Unless you have some other way to go home." He said, teasingly.

Sylvie laughed as she pushed him gently. "Hey. That's not nice to treat your babymama." She grinned at him.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "You'll never just be my baby mama, Sylvie." He pressed his lips against hers.

"Then the mother of your child?" She said in between kisses. He groaned into the kiss, shaking his head. After the kiss ended, Sylvie looked at him with a puzzled looked. "Then what?"

"Well, of course you'll always be considered the mother of my child. But you're also my girlfriend baby. And the love of my life." He said as he gave her another kiss. "I'll see you after shift." He said as he pulled away and placed his hand on her stomach. "And in between calls, you better feed my baby." He said, grinning at her.

She groaned. "You better not be one of those over protective soon-to-be-fathers, Antonio Dawson." She called out to him as he was heading out the door.

He turned to looked at her. "Can't promise that I won't" He winked at her. "I love you."

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "I love you too." She placed her hand on her stomach. "We love you too." She watched as his smile grew bigger and then watched as he walked away. She shook her head, not remembering the last time she was this happy. "Your daddy is going to drive us crazy little one, but he means well." She said as she turned around and headed into the kitchen where everyone else was.

Sylvie was 5 months pregnant and she was starting to show a little more. Right now she was fed up with Antonio's overprotectiveness. She loved him more than anything in the world, but she was pregnant which meant cravings.

She had to begged Gabby to bring over ice cream while Antonio was at work. While she was waiting for her best friend to come, she placed her hand on her stomach. "Tomorrow, we find out if you're a girl or boy." She said with a smile. "As long as you're healthy and growing well, I'd be happy."

Her and Antonio came to the conclusion that it didn't matter if they had a boy or girl, of course it didn't matter to Antonio since he already been down this road with both, but Sylvie was more concerned about the baby being healthy.

She heard Gabby unlocking the door and coming into the apartment. "Thank god." She muttered as she got up and met her at the door. She didn't even care about seeing Gabby, just the ice cream. As she took the ice cream out of Gabby's arms, she laughed.

"Well hello to you too." She teased.

Sylvie laughed as she walked in the kitchen and went over to the draw and took out a spoon. "Sorry, but your brother is driving me crazy! Look in the refrigerator, no junk, just healthy things!" She said with a disgusted face. "I love your brother dearly. But if he doesn't knock this crap off, my baby won't have a father because I'm going to kill him." She joked.

Gabby laughed, shaking her head. "You know, I don't remember him being this bad with Laura. Granted, I am closer to you than Laura, but we still talked."

Sylvie shrugged her shoulders as she opened the ice cream carton and started eating the ice cream. After she swallowed the bite of ice cream, she smiled. "I know he cares. And I love him for it. I do. My hormones are just driving me crazy."

Gabby smiled as she sat down at the table and she nodded her head. "I'm surprised he hasn't said anything about you continuing to work."

Sylvie laughed. "Oh, he has. He said that after the first doctor's appointment. But I told him he's out of his mind crazy. I'm not staying locked in this apartment for 9 months. "

Gabby laughed, nodding her head. "Have you guys discussed about moving out? I mean, this apartment is lovely but for three kids? It isn't very big."

Sylvie sat down across the table from her and she nodded her head. "He has mentioned it. But we didn't get far with most things yet." She confessed.

Gabby nodded her head and she was about to say something when she heard someone come in the door and then heard Antonio's voice, looking for her. "Crap." Sylvie muttered. She threw the ice cream carton at her, and Gabby's eyes widened at her. Sylvie looked at her with a pleaded look, hoping that Antonio won't want a kiss for a while.

A few seconds later, he walked in the kitchen. "Why didn't you lock the door?" He questioned and then his eyes focused on Gabby. "Oh hey, Sis." He said with a smile. Then he looked down at the ice cream carton. "Um, since when do you like cookies 'N cream?" He questioned and then he looked at Sylvie suspiciously. "Did you really go behind my back and call my sister to bring you ice cream?"

Sylvie shook her head, immediately denying it. "Oh no. She stopped by and figured I could use some sugar." He then turned his eyes at Gabby, who looked at Sylvie with a glare. She mouthed 'sorry' to her. "Really, Gabby?" He sighed, knowing he was defeated. He shook his head as he turned his attention back to Sylvie. "I came by with some food, but you know—"

Sylvie shook her head, smiling. She stood up. "What did you get us?" She said, referring to her and the baby. Gabby, knowing they wanted some privacy stood up. "I'll call you later, Sylvie. Antonio, be easy on her. Allow the poor woman to eat what she wants. She doesn't want it, the baby does." She walked out of the kitchen and then headed towards the door.

After she heard the door closed, Sylvie turned back to her boyfriend who was driving her crazy. "She does have a point. I would love to always eat healthy things for our baby, but I can already sense the baby takes after me with junk food." She said with a smile as she picked up the ice cream once again and took a bite.

Antonio shook his head and he sighed. "Fine, just don't overdo it, Sylvie. I don't want our baby to come out on a sugar rush." He said as he placed the bag on the table. "So, I got your favorite. At least when you're pregnant."

"Macaroni and Cheese?!" She said with a smile. "You're the best!" She closed the ice cream back up and placed it in the freezer. Her expression turned soft. "You know that, right? I know I have been hormonal. And treating you really bad. But I love you." She said with a smile.

"Macaroni and Cheese, chicken and potato salad." He said as he walked over and he grabbed plates. He nodded his head. "I know baby. I love you too. Oh and by the way, Eva and Diego are coming this weekend."

Sylvie smiled widely and she nodded her head. "Good. You know, I'm surprised at how well they took the news. I thought they would have felt some type of way." She admitted.

After Antonio put the food on the two plates, he placed one in front of her and then he grabbed a fork and spoon and handed them to her, then he grabbed his own. He sat down and he nodded his head. "I thought so too. Especially Eva. But I'm glad they're excited as much as we are."

Sylvie dug right into the macaroni and cheese and once she chewed and swallowed, she smiled at him. "No offense sweetie, but no one is excited as you are. Not even me and it's my first child." She laughed, but she found it very cute. Annoying as hell, but cute.

"Hey, you were worried that I wouldn't want the baby." He said, rolling his eyes. He still find that pretty ridiculous. "Now you're saying I'm too happy." He smiled as he took a bite of his food.

Sylvie laughed, shaking her head. "No such thing as being too happy about a baby. You're just—well—-too overprotective. Look at when I started to show, you were worried that if we had sex, it was going to hurt the baby." She said, rolling her eyes. She took a bite of her food and after she chewed her food and swallowed, she laughed. "What kind of guy turns down sex from their girlfriend?"

Antonio laughed as he stood up walking over to the refrigerator. He grabbed a water bottle, shaking his head. "Hey, I went through this before. That wasn't what I said. I said since you are overdoing it with work, maybe we shouldn't have sex. It could be too much for you and the baby."

Sylvie laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "Well, if you think I'm going to go on early maternity leave you're crazy, and you're even crazier if you think I'm going through the rest of my pregnancy with no sex. I mean, have you looked at yourself?" She questioned. "Besides, being pregnant, it makes your sex drive 10x more intense." She then thought about something. "What time do you have to go back to work?" She asked, knowing he was still on duty.

Antonio looked down at his watch, shrugging his shoulders. "In 30 minutes." He looked at her with a puzzled looked on his face. "Why?"

Sylvie shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, no reason just asking." She stood up and she walked over to him. She placed her hands on his shoulders. "We could talk until you have to leave me…or we could use that time wisely." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at him.

"I think we…..talk too much." He grinned as he stood up, taking her by the hand. She grinned as they headed for their bedroom.

—-

The next day, they both took off from work that day so they could find out what they were having. Sylvie was anxious but only to see if the baby was okay.

Antonio sat next to her on the chair as he held her hand. "Hey. Are you okay?"

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "Yes. Just nervous." She admitted.

He leaned down and he kissed her head. "Everything is fine. You're always feeling the baby move. It's fine." He said, reassuring her.

Sylvie smiled at him. "I know."

Before he could say anything else, the tech lady came in, asking how Sylvie was feeling. "Tired." She admitted. "But pretty good."

The lady looked at her with a sympathetic smile. "Sadly the tiredness won't go away for the next 18 years."

Sylvie laughed and she nodded her head.

"Let's get started. I bet you guys are excited to know what you're having." She said and they both nodded their heads.

She pulled Sylvie's shirt up and she placed the jelly on her belly. Sylvie gasped at the coldness. "Sorry, I should have warned you that it will be cold." The tech said and Sylvie smiled letting her know it was okay.

The tech told them where the baby was and the body parts. Sylvie and Antonio couldn't keep the smiles off their faces. "So, the baby is fine?" Sylvie asked. "Everything looks good?"

The tech nodded her head. "Everything looks perfect. And it looks like you are having a perfect little boy."

Sylvie smiled widely. "A boy? Aww, oh my god."

Antonio grinned as he leaned down, pressing a kiss against Sylvie's forehead.

"I'll give you guys some privacy." The tech lady said. "I'll also come back with some pictures."

They both nodded their head, too focused on their little boy on the screen. Antonio squeezed her hand, the smile wouldn't leave his face.

"I told you everything would be fine." Antonio said with a smile.

Sylvie nodded her head as she smiled widely. "He's perfect. I mean, I know it's hard to see him, but he is." She said with a laugh.

"Of course he is, he's ours."

After a few minutes, the tech came back in and handed Sylvie the sonogram pictures. Antonio looked at Sylvie. "Can I have one?"

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "Of course." She handed him a picture and watched as he took out his wallet and placed the sonogram picture in it.

They thanked the tech lady and he took her hand, walking out of there.

—–

Later that night, after they told everyone the sex of the baby, Sylvie was laying on their bed, rubbing her stomach. She looked over at Antonio. "The hard part is choosing names for him now."

Antonio smiled and he nodded his head. "Have any ideas?" He asked.

Sylvie shook her head. "No. How about Antonio?"

He laughed, shaking his head. "No. There is a reason why I didn't name Diego my name. I just feel like it's unoriginal." He shrugged his shoulders. "We'll come up with a great name."

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "I know we will." She watched as he leaned over on the table and picked up a book. "Story time?" She questioned.

Antonio nodded his head as he laid his head closely to her stomach and he smiled, feeling her run her free hand in his hair.

He opened the book and he began reading to their son. He didn't like reading just anything to the baby, it was things of importance value. Any news going around the country, a book that he found knowledgeable.

After he was done reading, he looked up at Sylvie and he smiled at her. "I love my family so much. You, him, Eva, and Diego." He leaned up and he pressed a kiss against her lips.

She kissed him back, placing her hand on his face. After a few minutes, she pulled away, smiling at him. "We love you too. You're honestly the best father and boyfriend in the world."

Antonio took a deep breath as he moved over on his side of the bed. "I don't just want to be your boyfriend, Sylvie. I mean, it's okay for now. But eventually I do want to be your husband. I want us to be a family in every way possible."

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "All you have to do is ask, and I'd say yes. You know this."

Antonio nodded his head. "I just don't want you to feel like I'm only asking you because you're pregnant with my child."

"So, we didn't do it the way everyone finds ideal, who cares? I love you and the life we're building. And I love our little boy so much. It's crazy how much I love him when I don't even know what he looks like."

Antonio smiled and he nodded his head. "That's how every parent feels like. It's pretty incredible, huh?"

"It's even more incredible that I'm sharing all of this with you. If anyone would have told me a year ago, that I would be pregnant and with Antonio Dawson's baby, I would have told them they were crazy." She said as she pulled the cover's up over them and she laid her head on his chest. "A good kind of crazy. the most wonderful kind of crazy ever."

Antonio smiled and he nodded his head. "I feel the exact same way baby." He wrapped his arms around her, placing his hands on her stomach. He smiled when he felt the baby start to kick against his hand.

"He senses his daddy. He already loves you so much." She said smiling. "I know it's crazy to say that, but it's true. He kicks me a little during the day while I'm working. But if you stop by or whenever I finally see you, and he hears your voice or feels your hand against my stomach, he moves like crazy."

"No, correction, he loves us so much already." He smiled as he placed a kiss on her head. "Thank you baby, for giving me this chance again. For allowing me to be this happy."

"No, thank you for making me a mommy." She said, smiling as she closed her eyes. She was tired after the long day they had, it was the most perfect day, but it was long. Within minutes, she was fast asleep.

Sylvie smiled as she walked into their new house and she looked over at Antonio. "I can't believe we moved in here just in time for the baby shower tomorrow." She looked around the house that they brought and she couldn't remember a time she felt so happy.

She was due in a month, but the doctors were certain she might not go that far, so Gabby and Stella wanted to throw a baby shower before then. She wanted to help with the baby shower, but they wouldn't let her. They just told her the day so that she wouldn't make plans on doing something else.

Sylvie placed a hand on her huge belly as she looked over at Antonio. "You're coming to the baby shower, right?" She questioned him.

Antonio sighed as he walked over to Sylvie and he shook his head. "Come on, Sylvie. Guys don't go to a baby shower. Not even for their own kid."

Sylvie pouted at him. "Please baby. Jaden wants you there. And I want you there. Besides, it's 2016. Times have changed. Ask Herrmann, I'm sure he didn't go to his older child's baby shower, but went to his youngest child's. Please." She gave him the puppy dog eye, pleading with him. "You want your fat pregnant girlfriend to do this all by herself?" She said, guilt tripping him.

Antonio laughed, shaking his head. "Fine. Just because I don't want you talking bad about me to our son. Just because he's in your womb doesn't mean he can't hear you." He reminded her. He wrapped his arm around her and he smiled at her. "Are you hungry?" He questioned.

She nodded her head, smiling wide. "Yes, of course. Where do you want to go out?"

Antonio let go of her and he headed towards their kitchen. "In our brand new house. Everything is stocked up here. Got everything you could want." He said with a smile as he walked over to the refrigerator and he opened it.

Sylvie walked after him and she leaned against the door frame. "You're amazing, you know that? First, whatever adjustments I wanted for this place, you fixed. Then, you set up the furniture all on your own. And let's not forget about the one special room in this house you did. The nursery." She placed her hand on her stomach. "We're both lucky to have you. And if I made it seem like that isn't true with my hormones and sometimes high demands, I do apologize. I just want our house to be the best for us, all of us. You, me, Jaden, Eva, and Diego."

Antonio shut the refrigerator door and he walked over to her. "You think any of what you asked over the last few months were high demands? You're a first time mother, you just want everything to be perfect. And you weren't asking for anything impossible. Have you noticed that I would do anything for you?" He smiled and he leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her lips. He pulled away, placing his hands on her stomach. "I would do anything for our family." He said, grinning at her. "Let's eat and then watch movies in our new house all day. Sound like a plan?"

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "That sounds…..like a perfect plan."

—-

Sylvie smiled as she hugged Gabby when she walked through the door. "All of this looks amazing." She said in awe. Then she walked over and hugged Stella. "You guys know I would have helped. It is for my son after all." She reminded them.

Gabby laughed, shaking her head. "But that isn't very traditional. Honestly, since your house is bigger than ours, it was only fitting to have it here. But best believe if that wasn't the case you wouldn't have known where it would have been. And we had to tell you the date because knowing you, you would have been busy…shopping for the baby."

Sylvie's addiction at this time was shopping for the baby. There were times that Antonio had to get her to stop, but she mainly shopped for clothes. And no one could have too many clothes.

She laughed, nodding her head. "Well, thanks guys. This is the best."

Antonio walked over to Sylvie and he took her hand. "Thank you guys." He said, smiling at his sister and Stella.

They both nodded their heads and Gabby leaned forward, giving her brother a hug. He hugged her back, keeping his hold on Sylvie's hand. Once they pulled away, he smiled at her and then he looked over at Sylvie. "Let's get something to eat."

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "You know me so well." She said as she walked with him over to get some food.

They really did an amazing job with the decorations. Sylvie looked over at the table and noticed a lot of gifts at the table and she shook her head. Personally, she didn't care about the gifts because she was just full of love for everyone in her life. But she loved that her friends went through all this trouble for them.

After everyone was done eating, Sylvie sat in the chair just made for her while Antonio sat in the chair next to her. It was time to open the gifts and she was anxious and excited to see what they got for her son. She started with the little gifts. She smiled when she opened the first gift and saw that it was a baby bath seat.

"Aww, oh my god." She said, getting emotional of how cute it was. "I love this. Thank you so much."

After an hour, all the presents were open and Sylvie was amazed at all the stuff they got. The firehouse all chipped in and got them a swing. And the intelligence unit also got them a basinet that came with a changing table. Sylvie really wanted this, but she wanted a crib, which she brought a few weeks ago. So, she was really happy that they got this for them.

Since the men were like Antonio and thought a baby shower was only for women, only Erin and Kim came to the baby shower. She walked away from Antonio for a minute to thanked them. "Tell the rest of the guys at the unit that I said thanks." She said, after she hugged Erin and Kim.

"We asked Antonio what you wanted that was big since it would cost a lot anyway if we all brought separate things. And he pointed us in that direction and said you were in love with it." Erin said with a smile on her face.

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "I am. Naturally I went with a crib that can later turn into a toddler bed, more practical. But I still wanted it. So now I'd just put it in mine and Antonio's bedroom."

Kim smiled and she nodded her head. "I'm glad you love it. We're all really happy for you both. So when's the wedding?" She said, which in return got a smacked from Erin. "Err—I mean—-yeah no way to cover from that." She laughed.

Sylvie smiled, shaking her head. "Oh no, it's okay. I know we did things backwards but I know without a doubt that soon that man over there—" She said, looking over at Antonio. "Will soon be my husband." She smiled, turning her attention to Kim and Erin. "Thank you guys again."

Sylvie was exhausted from the day's events but she was blissfully happy. She couldn't wait to set all these things up and wait for the arrival of their son.

After everyone left, Sylvie was laying on the couch, rubbing her stomach. "I am so tired. But a good kind of tired. I knew our friends loved us, but look at all they got us."

Antonio smiled as he was sitting on the couch with her feet on his lap, massaging her feet. "We are lucky." He agreed. "I'll set up everything in the next few days." He promised.

Sylvie smiled as she looked at her boyfriend. She wanted a kiss, but with the way she was laying, it would be impossible to give him a kiss that would be romantic. "Um. Baby?" She asked, getting his attention. "I want a kiss…but…." her voice trailed off.

Antonio noticed her position so he leaned over as far as he could and pressed his lips against hers. He pulled away after a few minutes. "Let's go to bed."

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. As much as she loved being pregnant, getting up from the couch or anywhere really, was such a pain in the ass. But luckily she always had Antonio to help her. She took his hand and allowed him to pulled her up. "Ah, thanks. You're the best." She gave him a quick kiss and then she headed for the stairs.

Antonio smiled and he shook his head. "No, you're the best. You should have seen Laura at the end of both pregnancies. She was so cranky and hated being pregnant. But you never complain."

"Because I know as happy as I am going to be when I give birth and see our precious son—I'm going to miss feeling his kicks." She said with a frown.

She wobbled up to their bedroom and she changed into a pajamas, which lately has only been a long t-shirt. She climbed into bed and smiled when Antonio joined her a few minutes later.

"You will miss it. Especially when he keeps us up all night. But I know one thing for sure, you will be an amazing mother." He placed his hands on her stomach and he smiled softly at her. "Story time."

Sylvie smiled as she watched him pick up a book and leaned his head down to her stomach. She ran her fingers through his hair. This was her favorite part of the night, a time for her boyfriend to bond with their baby. And their son loved it too.

As soon as Antonio started reading to him, he started kicking like crazy, making Sylvie smiled widely. She was going to enjoy this as much as she can, since this part doesn't last forever.

When he was done reading, he raised his head from her stomach and he smiled softly at her. Then a looked of concerned appeared on his face. "What? What is it baby?"

Sylvie smiled as she bit down on her bottom lip, shaking her head. "It's okay. He's just kicking wildly tonight. He's calming down now. I'm okay. Really." She promised as she moved her hand from his hair and placed it on her face. "I'm actually more than okay."

Antonio took a deep breath and he nodded his head. "Okay. Sorry if I'm being a little suffocating."

She shook her head at him. "I rather you care than not care at all. Makes me know I'm having a baby with the right guy." She smiled as she pulled him down for a kiss.

After a few minutes, he pulled away smiling at her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I promise." She looked at his face with a puzzled look.

"In that case—" he said as he leaned forward, kissing her more deeply. It only took her a few seconds to understand where he was going and she smiled widely in the kiss. Between moving and everything, they barely had enough time for each other, but god she wanted him.

Antonio pulled away from the kiss and moved his lips on her neck. She smiled pulling his shirt over his head. He pulled away from her neck long enough to pull it over his head. She smiled softly at him. "I have to say, I do have the hottest boyfriend in the world." She grinned.

—-

The next few weeks were spent getting everything ready for the baby. One night, Sylvie walked into the nursery with everything done. She was amazed at how everything looked. She wanted to help but Antonio kept reassuring her that everything would be done on time, and he was right. She walked over to the crib when she saw a note in the crib. Curiosity got the best of her and she leaned down, reading the letter.

Sometimes I feel like it's crazy that I'm getting another chance at being a father again. I love Eva and Diego more than life itself, but I wasted too much time worrying about the wrong things. I was always more worried about being the most detective, and the most honest and respected detective around. I missed out on a lot of their growing up. However, with this baby, with our baby, I want to be a better father. And to do that…I need you to do a few things for me.

1\. If I ever get too involved with a case that makes our son keep asking where I'm at. Call me. I don't care what I'm doing. Nothing is more important to me than my son. Even if I don't answer, blow my phone up.

2\. Don't lie to me. Don't tell me that it's okay that I'm working late. It isn't okay and don't try making me feel better saying it is. I think that's what went wrong with me and Laura, she kept saying it was okay instead of expressing her feelings to me. And then it became too late to fix things. I never want that to happen between us because if it is possible, I love you more than I ever loved her.

3\. Pick up the stuff animal that is in the basinet in our room and hug it. I know it sounds weird but trust me, just do it. It's the first thing I brought for our son and I want you to know how much I love him.

SO put down this letter and do this for me. I love you.

Sylvie looked around the nursery seeing if Antonio was hiding anywhere and he would popped out, scaring her. But seeing no one, she walked out of the nursery and walked into their bedroom. She did the same thing as she did in the nursery and looked around for Antonio. Still not seeing him, she decided to followed his crazy request and walked over to the basinet. This was the first time she saw it and she fell in love with it more. It was absolutely breathtaking.

She shook her head knowing that she could stare and look at it another time. She was very curious to see what her boyfriend was up to. She looked down at the stuffed animal and she smiled softly. It was a bear and it was so cute. She picked it up and she squeezed it. As soon as she did, she jumped back because it talked. "I love you and I want to marry you. So turn around and give me an answer." It was in Antonio's voice and she knew that alone would make her cherish this bear forever.

She turned around and she smiled as she saw Antonio standing at the door frame. He was dressed in a suit, much better dressed for this occasion than she was. But at that moment, she didn't care.

He walked over to her and he smiled softly at her. "I know, a little cheesy. I'm much better than that. But everything else required to leave the house and we're very busy right now." He explained and she shook her head, tears already falling from her eyes. She kept her hold on the bear, afraid that she was dreaming and if she let it go, she would wake up.

"Please. It was so cute and sweet. And at least with this, I can keep it forever." She said as she moved her free hand up and wiped away a tear. It was bad enough that she cried at commercials nowadays, but with him proposing to her, she just couldn't stop the tears. Of course they were happy tears.

Antonio smiled and he nodded his head. He reached in his pocket and took out the ring box then he got down on one knee. "So, will you marry me?" He asked, looking in her eyes.

"Yes. Yes, I will marry you." She said, tears running down her face. Antonio smiled as he got up and he pulled her in his arms. After a few minutes, he pulled away and he took the ring out of the box. Then he slid it on her finger. He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead.

Sylvie smiled as she looked down at the ring. "I love it."

Antonio smiled and he moved his hands on her face and wiped away the tears. "Hormones, huh?"

Sylvie laughed. "Yes. But to be honest, even if I wasn't pregnant, I would have still cried." She admitted. "I can't believe I'm engaged to Antonio Dawson. I still feel like it's a dream that I'm having your baby, let alone engaged to you."

Antonio smiled and he nodded his head. "They do say the best things in life come unexpectedly." He wrapped his arms around her waist as he leaned down and he kissed her lips. He pulled away after a few seconds. "I can't wait for you to become Sylvie Dawson."

Sylvie grinned and she nodded her head. "Me too." But then she thought of something. She frowned. "But I don't think I can take your last name."

Antonio looked at her with a puzzled look. "Why not?"

Sylvie took his hand and walked over to their bed. "Because of Gabby. She is known as Dawson, I am known as Brett. Can't be two Dawson's in the firehouse. That can be confusing."

He nodded his head and he smiled at her. "You can still take my last name, but just keep Brett for the firehouse." He pointed out and then she agreed.

"Now—-to get you out of that suit." She smirked as she pulled his jacket off and then started working on his shirt.

—–

Sylvie was due in a few days, and as much as she loved being pregnant, she was over it. She was getting very hormonal and she felt like that was the reason why Antonio was working all these shifts. He told her it was because once the baby was born, he wanted to use some of his personal days. But she felt like it was a lie. He wanted the break from her.

Gabby and Stella were on their way over here and Sylvie asked them to pick her up some chips. She has been craving for some chips.

She smiled when she heard the door to their house open. Since she was huge as a whale right now, she couldn't get up to meet them at the door. "In the living room." She called out to them.

Gabby and Stella walked in the living room and they sat down on the chairs. "How are you feeling, sweetie?" Stella asked as Gabby handed her the bag of chips.

Sylvie smiled at her friend and then thanked her almost sister-in-law. How would have thought her and Gabby would be related by marriage? "Cranky. I think my fiancé is a jerk because he could be home with me now, but he decided to go in work on his day off. This could be our last moments of freedom before this little boy comes into our life."

Gabby laughed, shaking her head. "You know why Antonio went into work. He rather help you when the baby is here, Sylvie."

Sylvie looked down at the bag and she laughed. "What, did you guys buy me every kind of chips they had?"

Stella shrugged her shoulders. "You didn't say what kind you wanted and we didn't want to just bring one kind and you didn't like it."

Gabby smiled at Sylvie and then she stood up, walking over to Sylvie, grabbing her hand. "Nice ring. It's better than mine." She pointed out.

Sylvie laughed. "It's not a competition, Gabby."

Stella laughed as Gabby took a seat again. "So tell us, everything. Well, just the proposal anyway."

Sylvie laughed and she nodded her head, explaining the whole proposal. She knew it sounded cheesy, and personally if she wasn't pregnant, she knew Antonio would have done it differently. But like she told Antonio, she loved it because now she could cherished the bear forever.

After she was done telling the story, they both were smiling. "That is so cute. Personally I think anything less than anything you can keep forever is a waste. He could have took you to dinner, gave you the best night of your life, and proposed under the stars, but at least now you have a bear." Stella pointed out. "Besides, every guy in the world does that. It is so played out."

Gabby nodded her head, smiling. "I mean, the way Matt proposed twice was cute. But like Stella said, you have something to keep forever."

Sylvie smiled softly at them, nodding her head. After a few seconds, she felt an intense pain in her stomach. "Ow." She cried out.

Stella and Gabby immediately stood up, rushing over to her side. "What is it, Sylvie?"

Sylvie looked down as her water bag broke. "I'm in labor." She looked over at Gabby. "Call Antonio please." She said, trying to catch her breath.

Gabby nodded her head as she took out her phone and dialed Antonio's number. She then looked over at Stella. "Go upstairs and grab her suitcase. Sylvie, where is it?" She asked looking over at Sylvie.

"In my room, by the door." She said, biting down on her lip in pain. The pain subsided for a few minutes but then it came back. Damn, these pains hurt.

Gabby was relieved when Antonio answered the phone. "Where are you? Sylvie is in labor. Meet us at the hospital!" She hung up the phone and she looked over at Sylvie. "He'll be there. Hell, he might even beat us there."

As soon as Stella came downstairs with the suitcase, Gabby put her arm around Sylvie's shoulder and helped her up. She walked over to the door as Sylvie groaned in pain.

"I want Antonio." She groaned out.

Gabby nodded her head. "He's going to be there, Sylvie. I promise."

As soon as they got Sylvie safety in the car, and once Stella and Gabby was also in the car, Gabby pulled off.

She knew she was breaking all kinds of traffic laws, but she didn't care. If she didn't get Sylvie to her brother soon, he might have her head. Usually she would fight with him, but she didn't feel like it today.

Once they were at Med, Stella got out of the car, running into the hospital calling for help. Dr. Manning came over to them immediately with a wheelchair. Once they got Sylvie into the wheelchair, and was walking into the hospital, Sylvie smiled seeing her fiancé. "Antonio!" She called out for him.

Antonio rushed over to her and he took her hand. "I'm so sorry baby. You were right, I should have stayed home today. I should have been there."

Sylvie smiled, shaking her head. "How would you have known I was going to go into labor? I didn't even know and the baby is inside of me. All that matters is that you're here now."

When they stopped in front of the room, Gabby looked at Sylvie and Antonio. "We'll be in the waiting room, okay?"

They both nodded their head as Dr. Manning pushed her in the room. Antonio helped Sylvie into the bed and he smiled at her. "This is it." He said. "In a few hours, our baby boy will be here."

Sylvie tried to smile but she was in so much pain. "Just talk to me. Say anything."

"I wasn't at work." He confessed.

With that Sylvie snapped her head over at him. "What do you mean you weren't at work? I begged you to stay home with me today. Where were you?" She questioned him. If he wasn't Antonio Dawson, she would have accused him of cheating.

Antonio took her hand. "I was looking at places for…..our wedding. I just want our wedding to be magical. I'm not saying we spend this crazy amount on it. But for you, I want it to be perfect."

Sylvie shook her head and then she placed her hand on his face. "I love you, Antonio. I love you more than I ever loved anyone. You are everything I have ever wanted. We could get married the way Gabby and Matt did and in my eyes, it would be perfect because all that matters to me is that you're my husband."

Sylvie leaned her head back, fighting off another contraction.

"I know baby. And that's why I want our wedding to be in a place where you dreamed of getting married. I just love you so much and I love our son."

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "We love you too baby. I don't know what I did right in my life but I know it was something since god gave me you and our precious son."

Antonio smiled and he nodded his head. "I feel the same way. We'll discuss this later, okay? Let's just bring our son into the world."

Sylvie nodded her head, agreeing with him.

The next few hours was the hardest for Sylvie. For it being her first pregnancy, she dilated pretty quickly which meant that when she asked for drugs, it was too late.

Luckily though, before she could scream and complained, they were pushing her into the delivery room. They took Antonio away to get him scrubbed up and Sylvie smiled through the pain when he walked into the delivery room.

She immediately took his hand and he kissed her forehead. "Ready to finally become a mom?"

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "I feel like it anyway. I'm ready to take on this next chapter with you."

As she was pushing, he was busy dabbing her forehead with a wet rag. And when he wasn't doing that, he was breathing with her, which calmed her down some.

After some time, he finally heard a baby's cry and Antonio choked up with emotions. His son was finally here. He finally had a face for the baby that he read to for the last 9 months. When the nurses were done cleaning him up, she walked over to Sylvie and placed him in her arms.

Antonio smiled as he looked down at his son for the first time. He was really beautiful and god, he was so in love. "Hi Jaden." Antonio said in a soft tone.

He was fussing for a few seconds, but as soon as he felt Sylvie kiss his forehead and heard Antonio's voice, he started to calm down.

Antonio sat down beside Sylvie and he kissed his son's cheek and then he looked over at Sylvie. "I am so proud of you baby. You did it. And with no drugs." He leaned forward and he pressed a kiss to her lips.

Once they were settled into the room, Antonio told Sylvie to rest for a few minutes until everyone got here. He told Gabby about everything and she told him that she wanted to go grab the kids and everyone else and then she'd be back. He agreed, saying that Sylvie needed to rest too.

An hour passed by when Sylvie opened her eyes and once she did, her heart melted over Antonio. He was rocking Jaden in his arms and it was the absolutely most precious thing she ever saw. She knew in that moment, she chose the right guy.

"I think the most hardest decision a woman has to make is if the man she is having a baby with is worth it. Sometimes the guy acts like a real gentleman until she gets pregnant. And then when she gives birth, the true colors comes out. I knew when I got pregnant, you were worth it. But seeing you with our son, I know you are without a doubt the man I was supposed to have a baby with." She said, gushing over her fiancé.

Antonio smiled as he walked over to her. "I think he wants his mommy. He's growing tired of daddy already." He laughed as he handed Jaden to Sylvie.

"I think he's just hungry." Sylvie smiled, reassuring Antonio that he loved Antonio just as much as Sylvie.

Antonio nodded his head as his phone went off signaling a text message. "Okay, you feed him and I'll let everyone know that as soon as he is done eating, they can see you." He leaned forward and he kissed Sylvie's forehead and then Jaden's. He was hesitant to leave them even just for a moment.

"We'll be fine baby. Nothing is going to happen to us." She laughed, finding it to be adorable. "We love you. Tell daddy we love him."

Antonio smiled as he nodded his head. "I love you both too. I'll be right outside." He told her as he walked out of the door, closing it behind him.

Everyone from the firehouse was there and so was his children. He walked over to them and he smiled at them. He pulled them into a hug. "Thank you for coming."

"Are you kidding?" Eva said as she pulled away. "We have a new baby brother. You know how excited we are." She said, laughing.

"How's Sylvie?" Gabby asked and Antonio turned his attention to his sister. "Blissfully happy. We both are."

After a while, they all headed towards the room. Antonio checked first to see if Sylvie was done feeding the baby. Seeing that she was, he led the group of people in.

As soon as they all the baby, they smiled and said. "Aww."

Gabby and Matt were the first ones to hold the baby since they were the godparents.

"Everyone, we would like to introduce Jaden Grey Dawson." Antonio said as he looked over at Sylvie with so much love in his eyes.

Eva and Diego were the next ones to hold the baby since he was their brother after all. He could tell they were all starting to form a bond already and he couldn't have been happier. They were playing with his fingers and making him laugh. Antonio looked over at Sylvie and he smiled at her. "I think we found ourselves some babysitters."

Sylvie smiled widely and she nodded her head. "Look at how in love they all look even Jaden. He seems mesmerized by them."

Everyone in the firehouse all took turns holding the baby, even Severide which surprised Antonio. He didn't seem like a baby person, but then again everyone here was like family, so that was different. Once Boden held the baby, everyone stopped talking and watched him with the baby. "Welcome to Firehouse 51 family."

After everyone left, Sylvie leaned against the bed, yawning. "I am so drained. But so blissfully happy. I can't wait for them to stop doing tests on Jaden and bring him back to us."

Antonio smiled and he nodded his head. "It's only for procedures. He'll be back soon. Just try to rest."

Sylvie smiled as she took a hold of his hand. "You too baby. You look tired as me, and I had a baby come out of me." She laughed. "Please sleep for me."

He nodded his head. "Okay baby. For you." He smiled as he rested against the chair and within minutes they were both fast asleep.

—–

"I can't believe this is your wedding day. The day we officially become sisters." Gabby gushed to Sylvie, not realizing she was having a breakdown.

"What if he realizes I'm not a good enough wife? Or even mother? I don't want to let him down. I felt suffocated when Harrison tried to always make me cook. Always wanting a home cooked meal every night. I don't know how to be a wife." She said, clearly freaking out.

Gabby was amused. "Sylvie, sweetie. No one knows how to be a wife at the beginning. Antonio will only care about food because he doesn't want Jaden to starve." She said, trying to lighten the mood. "You have been a mother for three months and anytime I talk to Antonio, he always goes on how much of a great mother you are." She placed her hand on her shoulder. "You got this. Just believe in yourself, and believe in the marriage you have with my brother that it will be okay."

Sylvie nodded her head as she removed her robe to revealed her wedding dress. She tried to keep it as traditional as it could be. It was a white dress that looked like it belonged to the queen, but it wasn't as nearly as expensive as that.

"You look flawless. Wow." Gabby said, smiling. "Go become a Dawson. And kick ass like we do."

Sylvie made sure she had everything before she walked out of the church. She heard the music playing and she took a deep breath.

"I'll see you after it is all over." She said, and she turned around when it was her time to walked down the aisle.

"Are you ready?" She looked up as she saw who was walking her down the aisle. Although they were planning the marriage for months, her parents couldn't make it because her father was going through some health problems. She was upset about it and even almost cancelled the wedding, but Antonio talked her out of it. He talked to her parents and they told him that when her father was feeling better, they could just reenact it out for him. He knew how much it hurt her, but she finally agreed knowing they already spent a lot of money on the wedding and couldn't get refunds anyway.

Sylvie smiled as she turned around and looked at the person that she felt like was a father figure in her life at Chicago. "Yes, sir, I am."

"Today I am not your Chief, I am Wallace." He said in an authoritative tone. He smiled softly at her. "You look beautiful. Ready to get married?" He asked, holding out his arm.

Sylvie took a deep breath and she nodded her head. "As ready as I'm ever going to be." She confessed as she pushed her arm through his and then they walked out of the room and into the church.

As she headed down the aisle, her eyes landed straight on Antonio and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Not because he was looking sexy, even though he was. But because she was finally marrying the love of her life. Her soul mate.

Tears were streaming down her face, and she noticed that tears were also streaming down his face too. Once she reached the end of the aisle, Boden smiled at her. "I wish you both all the happiness in the world. Never give up on love." He said as Antonio nodded his thanks to him and took Sylvie's hand.

Once they were in front of the priest, Antonio uncovered her veil and he smiled softly at her.

Sylvie smiled softly at him as the priest became to talk. They rehearsed this a bunch of times so she knew line from line. As they got to their part, Sylvie smiled softly at Antonio. "I do."

Antonio held on to Sylvie's hand tightly as he repeated the same words she just said. "I do."

After what felt like forever for them, the priest then said the words they were dying to hear for months. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Antonio smiled and he pulled Sylvie into his arms, pressing his lips against hers in a passionate kiss. After a few seconds, he pulled away smiling. "I love you Mrs. Dawson."

She grinned at him. "I love you Mr. Dawson."

Sylvie then picked up their son from the stroller he was in. "And we love you. All of this happened because of you." She said smiling at her new husband.

Antonio wrapped his arms around his wife and he looked down at their sleeping son. "Now we can get on to the rest of our lives."

—–

The END.


	20. Chapter 20: Into her

**A/N This is my take on the Chicago Fire episode 5x03 Scorched Earth. Enjoy!**

Antonio nodded his head at Stella when he told her all that he knew on the kid she was looking for. "If you need anymore of my help, call me." He stood up, trying to act like he wasn't looking for Brett, but he sort of was. Although he was dodging her calls, it wasn't like he wanted to do it, it was just something he felt like he had to do.

As he was heading out the kitchen towards the door, he saw Brett, he wanted so desperately to go over there and say something to her. Maybe apologized to her for not returning her calls, but he just couldn't. He knew why he wasn't returning her calls, he felt in his own way he was saving her from his problems. And boy, between his job, his kids, and his crazy ex-wife, he had problems.

Antonio waved at her but he stopped when she said. "Hey."

As she stood up from the chair, he walked over to her, wondering what she wanted. He hoped that she didn't asked why he didn't return her phone calls. He wanted to so badly, especially knowing that there was definitely something between them, but at the same time, he also knew he had to keep his distance.

Sylvie then began talking. "Um. How is going?" She asked. He knew she was just making small talk and figured he'd played along.

Antonio placed his hands in the front of his pockets, a move he made when he was nervous. It was honestly crazy how nervous he was around Sylvie, she made him feel like a teenager again. "Good, you know." He said, returning the small talk back.

That was when Sylvie asked him out. "Are you free tomorrow night? Cause I'm going to head to Molly's and if you're—"

Antonio didn't want to hurt her, god that was the last thing he wanted to do, but he had to interrupt. Not because he wasn't interested, that wasn't the issue. But because if she kept on talking, he knew he would agree to whatever she wanted. "Look—Sylvie, you're great." He said, giving her a small smile. She was great, he knew that. But right now, he wasn't looking for a relationship. He just didn't have time for it. At least he didn't think so.

"I am actually." She said, with a confident smile, which he found to be so adorable—and well hot. "I think you are too."

At her words, he couldn't help but let out a real smile as he looked around the firehouse and then he looked back at her. Of course he was into this woman, any guy would be crazy not to be. Especially seeing her in the ambo and calming down his CI. But this just couldn't work.

"So why aren't we hanging out?" If only it were that easy, he thought. He would loved to see her in Molly's tomorrow night. But truthfully, he could see himself falling for this woman and love was the last thing he wanted, it was the last thing he was looking for.

He decided he just needed to be honest to her. "Cause it's a little more complicated than that. I've got an ex-wife who is certifiable. A mess of a custody situation. I spend my days getting shot at. I barely have enough energy to microwave a pizza when I get home." He heard his voice when he was telling her all this, but yet he couldn't help but feel like they were excuses. The thing was, he couldn't expect a woman–especially a woman like Sylvie— being okay with all the problems he had. Although their work was the same, it was also very different. His ex-wife already left him because of it. If he got into deep with Sylvie, if he fell in love with her, and then he got shot, then she left him too—he just couldn't risk it.

But it wasn't just because of his fear of getting hurt yet again. He was afraid for her too. No woman should have to worry about their boyfriend going to work. He was just saving them a bunch of hurt and hell also a bunch of arguments also. Being a paramedic and a cop was different. She could talk about her job, about her patients, he couldn't. Especially when he was dealing with a huge case. He was saving her. He kept reminding himself.

"I like microwave pizza." She threw back at him.

Inside he was laughing because that wasn't even a quarter of what he was trying to tell her. His life was just too messy right now to get involved with anyone. Especially with someone who needed to be with someone that didn't cause her stress. Her job was probably causing her enough as it was.

"We're in different places right now. Trust me. I'm just looking out for you. I'm sorry." And he honestly felt like he was looking out for her. He couldn't expect anyone to handle his problems.

"Yeah, me too." She said and he couldn't help but feel like taking her in his arms. But he just couldn't. It would never work and he was the older one here, so he had to put a stop to it before it even began.

As he headed towards the doors once again, he slapped his hand against the wall, fighting the urge to change his mind. But he was doing the right thing, he knew he was.

He opened the doors and he walked outside, taking a deep breath. The right thing to do was always so damn hard.

It wasn't even the age difference, which he knew could be a problem. But it wasn't trying to think that far ahead.

As much as he liked Sylvie Brett, he just couldn't expect her to jump right into a family with him and that was exactly what would happen.

How could it not? He has two kids. Two kids that were a huge part of his life, and although he knew Sylvie wouldn't have a problem with that, he couldn't expect that. He was doing themselves both a favor, and she needed to realized it sooner rather than later. They were saving themselves a world of hurt.

—

As Antonio walked into Molly's, he knew he was risking a chance of running into Sylvie. And maybe, just maybe a part of him wanted to.

Not to talk to her, but just to admire her from afar. He sighed, realizing how stalkerish that sounded. But every time he thought about her, the disappointed look she had in her eyes just came to mind. He hoped he didn't hurt her, or made her feel like he didn't like her, or even felt the connection between them. But he had to keep reminding himself it was never going to work out.

He knew he should have went to a different bar, but Molly's was his favorite bar. It was the only bar in Chicago that actually felt like home, mainly because he considered everyone in here as family.

He sat down at the bar and he looked up at Herrmann ordering himself a beer. His drink varies with his moods, and right now he just wanted a beer to relax and have a good time.

One of the detectives that he knew came over to him and started talking to him. Usually whenever Antonio was in this mood, he wanted to be left alone, but right now he could use the distraction.

They were talking about useless chit chat, something Antonio wasn't fond of, but he wasn't thinking about Sylvie so it was good. They were talking about their kids, although that subject was a sore one for him because he rarely saw his kids. But that didn't mean he didn't know anything that was going on. He always managed to know everything that was going on with them.

He nodded his head when the guy said that he would be right back. Where he was going, he didn't care enough to asked. He figured he would be alone with his thoughts for a while but after a few minutes, he realized that wasn't true.

For some reason, he felt like someone was walking towards him, so he turned his head to looked and there was the person he was trying to avoid but also trying to stalk. This whole thing was so damn complicated.

"Hey." Her soft tone let him know that she wasn't here to yell at him for hurting her. Thank god for that. She didn't peg him for that type, but still, he could never be so sure.

"Hey." He said as he moved his hands to wiped at his mouth. He figured maybe he should elaborate more on what he was saying the other day at the firehouse. It was always hard to talk in the firehouse because of it always be so busy and full of people.

"Listen–" he began but unlike last time, she caught him off.

"I already listened, now I get to talk." He wasn't sure if he should be scared, or hell turned on. A woman taking charge was the type of women he was into. Which further made him realize that he, Antonio Dawson, was into Sylvie Brett.

"I had my heart stomped on too. And I don't have any kids but I'm pretty good with them. And my job beats me down on a regular basis, but like you, I love it. And I lied about liking microwave pizza, nobody likes microwave pizza."

When she said that last comment, he couldn't help but let out a smirked. Honestly, he couldn't stand it either, but when he was working a late shift, it was the most convenient thing to heat up.

"Now with that out of the way, do you want to ask me out? Or should I ask you?"

Knowing that right now she wasn't taking no for an answer, he figured a drink wouldn't hurt, right?

He smiled softly at her. "Can I buy you a drink?"

She smiled softly back at him and she nodded her head. "Yes, you may." Her smile grew wider as she sat down on the stool next to him.

"What do you want to drink?" He asked her as he flagged down Herrmann.

"Whatever you're having."

He nodded his head and told Herrmann to give him two beers. "Shift tomorrow." He explained. "Don't feel like walking in there and dealing with cases with a hangover." He said, smiling at her.

"Ah, been there, not a good feeling. Well not dealing with cases but saving people with a hangover isn't exactly fun." She said, smiling at him.

For the next couple of hours, they were talking about normal things. Things that felt safe. Like how much they loved Gabby, since she was their common subject. She started to asked him about his kids, steering clear from talking about his ex-wife. Then they started talking about why she left Indiana and moved to Chicago.

Knowing they both had a shift tomorrow, they tried to leave early, but before they knew it, it was getting late. He stood up, smiling at her. "Can I drive you home? Unless you drove here?" He questioned her.

She shook her head, putting her strand of hair behind her ear. "No, I took a cab. Just in case I ended up getting drunk." She explained. "So, if you want, you can drive me home. But I have no problem taking a cab home."

He shook his head immediately at her suggestion. "No, it's really no problem. It's late and I wouldn't feel comfortable letting you go home by yourself."

She nodded her head and she stood up. "Well, thank you." She said, feeling nervous.

As they were walking towards the door, Antonio had to fight the urge of putting his arm around her, or even holding her hand. For one, this wasn't technically a date. And for two, he felt like that would be sending her mixed signals.

Right now, this was just a predate, and maybe when he felt like things would calm down in his life, they could actually go out on a date, because he knew without a doubt in his mind, that he was into Sylvie Brett.

But of course since she was on a determined mission tonight, she was the one that took a hold of his hand when they stepped outside of Molly's. He looked over at her, smiling at her.


	21. Chapter 21: Overprotective

**A/N just a cute fluffy one. Enjoy!**

Sylvie brought up the Martini up to her lips as she took a sip. Her and Antonio had plans on meeting at Molly's later. Since she was off from work, she came here early, while Antonio was still on shift.

"So, how is everything between you and Antonio? I feel like we never talk anymore." Gabby said as she downed a shot she just poured.

Sylvie put down the drink, giving Gabby a weird stare. "We're partners." She pointed out. "We're constantly talking." She laughed.

Gabby nodded her head. "I know that. But I mean, you have been pretty secretive about how things are with Antonio."

"Um. Cause every time I try to talk about it, you get a weird look and sometimes even try making up an excuse to leave." She said.

"That's because you were discussing your love life with my brother." Gabby pointed out as she refilled her shot glass back up.

"You asked!" She said, defensively.

"I know." She sighed. "I thought I could handle it, I couldn't. So, this time don't go into those kind of details." She suggested.

Sylvie laughed and she nodded her head. "Okay." Her face then broke out in a huge smile as she thought about Antonio. "We're doing very well. In fact, I think the only time we are apart is when we're both working. It works out well that his kids likes me." She said.

"Likes you?" Gabby said with a laugh. "Anytime they're over my house visiting with Louie, they can't stop going on and on about you. Those kids loves you."

Sylvie smiled as she thought about Antonio's kids. "I do feel lucky."

Before she could say anything else, her phone made a noise that signaled a text message. She took her phone out of her purse and smiled, seeing Antonio's name. She opened the text message. She smiled to herself when he said that he was on his way.

"Sickening. So sickening." Gabby said, jokingly. "You remind me of how I acted when Matt and I first got together. Now I want to apologize to everyone who had to witness that." Gabby laughed as more people started coming in. "I'll be back." She said as she walked away, tending to other people.

Sylvie kept looking at the door, but she knew that was just making him take that much longer.

" If I had a nickel for every time a saw a woman as beautiful as you, I'd have five cents." This guy who appeared out of nowhere said to Sylvie.

Sylvie looked over at the guy and she shook her head. "Um. Thanks." She said as she turned her attention back to the door. Even if the guy was sexy, no one was hotter than Antonio Dawson.

"Let me buy you a drink." He offered.

Sylvie sighed as she looked over at the guy once again. "No thanks." She said, uninterested.

"Hmm. Waiting for someone?" He asked as he sat down on the stool beside her and placed his arm around her, obviously not understanding that she wasn't interested.

Sylvie pulled away from him, shaking her head. "Um. I'm waiting for my boyfriend."

"That's what they all say." He said, not buying it.

Sylvie looked over at Gabby, wishing she could come save her right now, but the one time she needed Gabby to save her, she was busy with customers.

"Look. I'm not interested. And trust me, it would be better for you if you get lost before my boyfriend comes." She warned him. Seeing him not budging, she decided to just get up and wait outside for Antonio.

That was where she made the mistake. As soon as she stood up, the guy decided to followed her. She turned around to looked at him. "What?" She thought this guy had issues.

Luckily though, she heard the door of Molly's opening and she knew without looking that was Antonio. As soon as his hand went on her lower back, she relaxed.

"What's going on here?" He asked in his detective voice.

Sylvie shook her head. "It's okay, Antonio." She said, knowing how overprotective he can get.

Antonio looked over at Sylvie and then he looked over at the guy who looked scared. He turned his attention back to Sylvie. "Hey. Do me a favor. Go and order me a beer, okay?"

Sylvie shook her head. "No. Come with me please?"

Antonio looked over at the guy and then he looked over at Sylvie, then he nodded his head after a few minutes. "Okay. But first–" he walked closer to the guy, giving him a stern glare. "You see her? Come near her again when I'm not here and next time she can't talk me out of bashing your head in." He said as he took her hand and walked over to the bar.

He sat down at the stool and she sat down next to him. He ordered their drinks as she placed her hand on his back, rubbing it up and down. "Hey, don't let anyone ruin our night, okay?"

Antonio was still pretty angry. That wasn't what he expected to walked into. As their drinks were placed in front of them, he picked up his beer taking a sip.

"You're not jealous, are you?" Sylvie asked.

Antonio looked over at her and he shook his head. "No, of course not. I knew that guy didn't have a chance." He smirked.

Sylvie laughed, shaking her head. "Okay. But if I didn't stop you, I'm sure you would have hit him. Why would you do that if you weren't jealous?"

Antonio contemplated on what she was saying as he stared at his beer. After a few minutes, he looked over at her. "Fine. I was jealous." He admitted.

"But why? I wasn't interested in that creep. I'm interested in you."

Antonio looked at her and he nodded his head. He took another swig of his beer and then he stood up.

She looked at him with a puzzled looked. "Where are you going?"

Antonio looked at her and he shrugged his shoulders. "It's kind of dead in here. So, my apartment?" He asked her as he took out money and placed it on top of the bar countertop.

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. She stood up as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Staying the night?" He asked as he headed out of Molly's.

She looked over at him and she smiled. "If that's what you want."

"Hell yes, that's what I want." He headed towards his truck as he leaned forward, whispering in her ear. "That's if you want to, Sylvie."

The way he said her name, always drove her crazy. And he knew it too. She nodded her head after a few minutes. "Of course." She smiled softly at him.

Once they reached his truck and he moved his arm from around her shoulders, she grabbed his arm. "We're okay, right?"

Antonio nodded his head and he smiled at her. "Why wouldn't we be?" He asked as he leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss. "We're fine."

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. She knew how overprotective Antonio could get, but she was happy that she got him to calmed down.


	22. Chapter 22: Boxing

**A/N Just a short one. Enjoy!**

It was Antonio's day off and it was also Sylvie's day off but he was filled with so much anger that he decided to go to his gym today. He was planning on meeting up with Sylvie later.

After finding out about his parents divorce, anger just consumed him. He, of all people knew divorce was possible for everyone. But when your parents are married for 40 years, you kind of think your parents would be the last people to get divorced.

It wasn't even that he was mad about the divorce, but with the way his parents handled it, especially his dad. He couldn't understand why he thought it was okay to embarrassed his mom in that way.

He was boxing with one of the regular teenagers that came to the gym when they were also having problems. He was glad that he could be there for teenagers the way his boxing instructors were there for him when he needed help when he was also a teenager.

"School treating you well?" He asked as they started getting ready to box. He was placing on his gloves as he slapped it shut.

"I guess." The boy replied which made Antonio feel like something was wrong. But he didn't pressed on the issue. He figured if he wanted to talked about it, he would.

"Guess it's a good thing you're here then, huh? Release some of that frustration." He said.

"That's why I'm here, Mr. Dawson." He said, in which Antonio rolled his eyes.

"Antonio. I keep telling you to call me Antonio." Usually, he wouldn't have snapped at that. How could he snapped on a kid showing him respect? But right now whenever said Mr. Dawson, it reminded him of his father. "We're friends here." He said, gesturing his hands around the room, letting him know everyone in here all had a common purpose.

Antonio tried hard to make this a safe haven for teenagers, or hell for everyone. And so far he was succeeding.

"Okay. Antonio." He said, making Antonio laughed in the way he said it.

"Let's get started." Antonio said, making his way into the ring.

A few hours later, Antonio was still at the gym. That was the problem with him, whenever he was at the gym, time just passed by for him.

They finally decided to get out of the ring since they were boxing for a long time. He threw him a rag to wipe his face.

"I guess I should get going. My mom might wonder where I'm at." The boy said and Antonio nodded his head.

"Okay. You might want to head into the locker room and take a shower first." He suggested with a smile.

Antonio watched as the boy nodded his head and turned to walked away. Another instructor came over to him. "You went pretty hard." He observed.

"Kid got energy. Will never end a session until the kid is done." He said as he took off his gloves when he heard footsteps of someone walking in the gym.

He turned his head and he smiled softly when he saw Sylvie. He turned to the instructor. "I'll catch you later."

He walked over to Sylvie as he smiled at her. "Hey. I wasn't expecting to see you yet." He said as he leaned forward and he kissed her cheek.

Sylvie nodded her head. "I know. But I was missing you." She said, smiling at him.

Antonio smiled at her. "Oh yeah?" He asked.

He noticed the teenager coming out of the locker room and he excused himself from Sylvie as he walked over to him. "Great session. I'll see you later." He gave him a handshake and then walked over to Sylvie.

"I'm sorry for disrupting. I can go if you want." Sylvie said, apologizing.

Antonio smiled and he shook his head. "No, it's okay. I have been here for hours." He looked around at the gym and then back at her. "You know, if you ever just want a session with me, I can teach you some defense moves." He offered.

Sylvie laughed. "What, you think I don't have moves to protect myself?" She asked.

Antonio laughed as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'm sure you do. But maybe that was just an excuse to see you in your work out outfit. Take the hint baby."

Sylvie shook her head. "Could you really teach me anyway? I feel like you would be afraid of really teaching me."

Antonio laughed, shaking his head. "Why would I be afraid? I have been doing this for years." He said but then a thought occurred to him. "Do you trust me?" He asked.

"Hey." Sylvie said, placing her hand on his face. "I trust you more than anyone in my life. I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt me. I was just teasing."

He smiled at her words and then he leaned forward, giving her a kiss. He pulled away slightly. "Only a few more sessions and I know I can kick my dad's ass."

Sylvie laughed, but then she realized he was serious. "Antonio, no." She stroked his cheek. "Think about how this will effect your mother, Gabby."

Antonio took a deep breath and he nodded his head. "Fine." He leaned into her touch. "So, how about we get out of here and get dinner?" He suggested.

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "Of course." She took her hand off his face and her smiled turned flirtatiously. "Oh and before I forget–" she said as she looked him up and down. "You are looking sexy in your gym outfit." She smirked.

Antonio grinned at her. "So, dinner at my apartment then?"

"Oh yes." She leaned up and she gave him a kiss. After a few seconds, she pulled away.

"I'll be back, okay?" He said and she nodded her head. He unwrapped his arms from around her and he kissed her cheek.

Antonio walked away from her and headed into the locker room. 20 minutes later, washed up and dressed into clothes, he walked over to her. "Ready?"

"Yes." She took his hand as his other hand carried his gym bag.

As they headed out of the gym, he looked over at her and he smiled at her. "Thank you, you know, for being patient."

Sylvie smiled at him and she nodded her head. "Always. No matter what, I'm always here."

Antonio nodded his head as he headed towards his truck. "Wait. How did you get here?"

"My car. But we can come back for that." She reassured him. "I just want to spend time with you today."

Antonio smiled and he nodded his head. "We'll come back for it." He promised as they stopped beside his truck. "We're going to have a good night."


	23. Chapter 23: Crazy about each other

**A/N Some Brettonio cuteness and Sylvie/Gabby scenes. Enjoy!**

Sylvie was practically at Antonio's apartment every night when she wasn't working, unbeknownst to everyone. Even Gabby, her best friend and Antonio's sister didn't even know about their relationship.

The last Gabby knew was that they had drinks together but that was it. Antonio and Sylvie both agreed that getting silent about their new found relationship would be best for both of them. They both pretty much sucked at love and if everyone knew, they felt like it would be too much pressure for themselves right now.

This was the rare shift where Sylvie had two days off from work. And of course she was spending it with Antonio.

She opened her eyes and she groaned. "Tired." She rubbed her eyes as she noticed that Antonio wasn't in bed. He always got up earlier than she did.

She stood up from the bed and she grabbed his robe, placing it around her body. She really needed to start keeping extra clothes at his apartment.

She walked out of the bedroom, searching for him. She smiled when she smiled something amazing cooking and then stood in the kitchen doorframe watching him cook. "You know, women find it very sexy when men know how to cook."

Antonio smirked when he heard Sylvie's voice and he turned around to looked at her. "Oh yeah?" He walked over to her and he wrapped his arms around her waist. "And men find it sexy when women wear their robes, and clothes." He leaned down and he gave her a kiss. He pulled away, smiling at her. "Good morning baby."

"It's definitely a good morning when I wake up in your apartment." She said as she leaned in and gave him a kiss on his cheek. She unwrapped herself out of his arms as she walked over to the refrigerator and took out a pitcher of juice. "Some night last night." She looked over at him with a twinkle in her eye.

"Yeah." He agreed. "It was pretty amazing." He smiled as he walked back over to the food before it burnt. Then a thought came to him. "You know, we have been together for a month now."

"Yeah?" Sylvie asked, confused. "I know." She said as she walked over to his cabinet and took out two glasses. She walked back over to the counter and poured juice into the glasses. "Best month of my life." She said with a smile.

"Glad to hear it but that wasn't where I was going with that." He laughed, shaking his head as he kept his attention focused on the food.

"Oh." She said, laughing. "My bad. Continue then." She urged him to continue as she picked up the glass and brought it up to her lips, taking a sip.

"No one has found out about us yet." He said, pausing to walked over to the cabinet and took out two plates. "I just feel like I'm hiding you from everyone."

"You're not though." She reassured him. "We just want to make sure that we're at a good place before everyone else knows. Once everyone else knows, there comes the drama." She said, sighing.

"First off, no one can ruin what we have. No one." He promised as he put the food on the plates and then walked over to the kitchen table, placing the plates down. "Second off, I would say we're in a good place. A really good place. I just don't want to keep this a secret anymore." He confessed.

She walked over to him with the glasses and she set them down next to their plates. "Then let's tell everyone." She suggested. "We'll go to Molly's tonight and everyone will find out at the same time."

Antonio nodded his head and he smiled at her. "Okay." He gave her a kiss. "Now let's eat." She nodded her head as they both sat down and they started eating, making mindless chit chat during breakfast.

After they were done eating, she stood up, picking up the plates and bringing them over to the sink. He started to help, but she shook her head. "You cooked, now it is my turn to clean up."

Antonio smiled at her, shaking his head. "See, now I have all the confidence in the world that we'll be okay when everyone finds out." He walked over to her and he kissed her head. "I'm going to take a fast shower and then we can do whatever you want before we get ready to head to Molly's, okay?"

Sylvie nodded her head and she smiled softly. She watched as he walked away and then she started washing the dishes. She couldn't remember a time that she was this happy with someone. She thought she was happy before Antonio, and in a way she was, but now she was blissfully happy.

As soon as she was done drying the dishes and putting them away, she heard a knock on his door. She wasn't sure if she should get it or not, considering that this was his apartment.

When she walked in the living room and heard the water still running, she figured she had no choice but to get it. "Please don't be his ex-wife. Please don't." She mumbled to herself as she walked over to the door and answered it.

There on the other side stood Gabby. Now, she kind of wished it was Antonio's ex-wife. How the hell could she explain to Gabby why she was in her brother's apartment, wearing his robe?

"Um. Sylvie? What are you doing here?" Gabby asked with a puzzled look on her face.

Sylvie's face turned bright red when flashbacks of the night before came into her mind. It was the reason why she was so tired right now.

"uh—I mean. Um. Yeah, no way to cover this, huh?" She asked, nervously. Maybe if she was in her clothes, she could say she needed his help with something since he was a detective. But in his robe, anybody with brains could tell that Sylvie didn't just spend the night last night, but that she was comfortable around his apartment.

Gabby smirked, shaking her head. "No. Not really. I knew it!" She exclaimed once the initial shock wore off. She walked inside her brother's apartment, the reason why she was here in the first place suddenly forgotten, at least for the moment. "I was telling Matt a week ago that something was going on with you and Antonio because every time I wanted you to come to Molly's while I was working, you would come up with some lame excuse. And Antonio used to always come to Molly's after long shifts. And I found it weird he wasn't there when Jay and Erin was."

Sylvie felt bad because they didn't want to keep it a secret from Gabby, but they didn't know how she would feel about this. "I wanted to tell you, but we both just suck at relationships, and we really like each other. I mean, really really like each other." She confessed.

"I already told you that Antonio was into you." She said. "I can't lie, I am hurt because you're my best friend, Sylvie. I know I don't say it, but you are. And knowing you are dating my brother and felt like you couldn't come to me, it does hurt. But I get it. When Matt and I started dating, I didn't tell anyone either." She confessed as she walked over to the couch and she sat down.

Sylvie followed her and she sat down next to her. "It wasn't that we didn't trust you. We just didn't know if it was going to go anywhere or if it was just a—–fling that we needed at the moment."

Gabby felt herself starting to get grossed out, but she didn't want to say anything so Sylvie could throw back at her that this is why she didn't tell her. "So, what is it?"

"I don't know, Gabby. I don't." She said as she thought about it. "I just know that I'm really crazy about him."

Since they were both deep in conversation, they didn't hear the bathroom door opened and Antonio hearing the last part. "I'm crazy about her too."

Sylvie jumped at his voice and she looked over at him, biting down on her bottom lip. "I didn't hear the bathroom door open."

"Obviously." He said with an amused expression then he turned his attention to Gabby. At this moment, he was glad that he put on his shirt because he wasn't going to since he just thought it was him and Sylvie here. "Everything okay sis?" He asked, his voice filled with concerned.

Gabby stood up and she nodded her head. "Uh yeah." She turned her attention from Antonio to Sylvie and then back at Antonio, feeling like she was interrupting a moment between them. "I'll just make this fast." She promised.

Sylvie, seeing that this was important, excused herself and she walked into Antonio's bedroom. She knew it might have made Gabby uncomfortable, but she didn't have much choices to choose from.

Antonio looked at his sister. "What is it?"

"Do you think you can do a background check on someone?" She asked, knowing that even if he couldn't, he would do it for her.

Antonio looked at his sister, and after a few seconds, he nodded his head. "Yes. I'm off today, but when I go back to work tomorrow, I can do it. What do you need?"

She started filling him on the details of what happened when they got home after the wedding reception. He told her he would look into it and get back to her as fast as he could. Honestly, even if he couldn't do it, he would go against the rules and do it for her. Especially when it came to Louie.

He walked her to the door and he gave her a hug. "We're actually going to Molly's tonight so we'll see you there?" He asked.

"Yes. I'm working there tonight." She said. "I should have figured something was really going on between you and Sylvie when you both showed up at the courthouse but everything was in chaos. Not the bad kind, but you know what I mean."

Antonio smiled and he nodded his head. "Listen, we didn't keep this from you because we didn't trust you it—"

She shook her head, interrupting him. "I get it. Hey, I still know before everyone so I'm happy for that. I'll see you tonight." She said as she opened the door and walked outside.

After saying goodbye, he closed the door behind her and locked the door. He headed towards the bedroom and he walked inside his bedroom. "Hey baby." He said, noticing that Sylvie got dressed.

She turned around and she looked at him. "Hey." She smiled at him, still nervous about the earlier revelation.

"You're not leaving, are you?" He asked as he walked over to her and he took her hand. He sat in the chair in his room and she sat down on his lap.

"No. Just figured the next person that knocks shouldn't see me in your robe." She admitted.

He nodded his head, sensing something was bothering her. "Hey. What is it?"

"Did you mean what you said?" She asked.

"No." He said sarcastically. "I just said that in front of my sister." He shook his head. "Of course it's true. Whenever I'm not with my kids, I'm with you. That should say something right there. And obviously I am crazy about you. I'm the one that suggested we tell everyone about us tonight in Molly's in front of our friends and family."

Sylvie moved her hand on the nape of his neck and started massaging it gently. "I guess it was just surprising to hear that is all." She admitted.

"You know what I find surprising?" He said with a hint of a smirked.

"What?" She asked.

"That you decided to get dressed after I said that to you." He said as he moved his hands down to the hem of her shirt and he slipped her shirt over her head.

"Antonio…..but Molly's" she whispered.

"We have plenty of time baby." He reassured her. He leaned forward and he kissed her softly at first but then the kiss deepened.

He stood up as she wrapped her legs around his waist, never breaking the kiss. He walked over to the bed and he placed her down on the bed, pulling away from the kiss.

He smiled down at her face. "You are so beautiful." He said as he moved over on top of her.


	24. Chapter 24: Guardian Angel

**A/N This is a sequel to the miscarriage story. Enjoy!**

It was a few days later after Sylvie had the miscarriage and she wasn't talking to anyone really. The only person she would talk to was Antonio.

Antonio walked into the hospital room as Sylvie laid on her side, just staring into space. He took a deep breath as he walked over to her. "Hey baby." He said, turning to get her attention.

But she didn't respond back to him. Antonio had no clue on how to help her, but he wasn't going to turn his back on her. "The doctors are looking over your tests and if everything looks fine, you can go home." He said as he looked at her. "And I know you would rather go back to your apartment, but I'd like for you to stay with me, at least for a few days."

At that comment, she turned her face to stared at him and he kind of wished he didn't see her face. She had silent tears streaming down her face, her eyes were blood shot red, which he could tell meant that while he was working, she was crying the whole time. His heart broke for his girlfriend.

"I don't want to be a burden." She confessed in a low voice and he immediately shook his head.

"You are not a burden, Sylvie. You know that."

She closed her eyes to fight back the tears. She opened her eyes again to look at him. "We both lost a baby, Antonio. Why are you so worried about me?"

He sat down in the chair next to her and he picked up her hand. "Because although I already love the baby inside of you—"

"You mean loved." She corrected him painfully.

"No, love. Just because—" he couldn't say the words, it was still too soon. "The baby will always be a part of us and I will always love the baby." He leaned his other hand up and wiped away her tears. "But anyway, you were the one that was carrying the baby. The only job I have right now is to make sure you—we make it out on the other side of this."

"If I stay with you, it'll feel like it's only out of an obligation." She said holding back the tears.

"Sylvie, you will never be an obligation to me. I love you." He said as he moved his free hand on her face and stroked her cheek. "And nothing you can say is going to make me change my mind." He promised.

She looked at him as tears threatened to fall down her face. She hated being this weak person, but this pain was unlike anything she ever felt before in her life. "I love you too. I'm sorry for losing our baby." She still felt incredibly guilty even though Dr. Halstead kept telling her that no one was at fault here.

Antonio shook his head. "Hey. Look at me." He didn't continue speaking until she looked him in the eyes. "You're not at fault, I'm not at fault. Please understand that. Please." He said, pleading with her.

Sylvie just nodded her head, not fully grasping that at this moment, but hopefully soon she could understand it. As she wiped away her tears and she stared at him, she noticed how tired he looked. "When was the last time you slept?" She asked, now turning the conversation to him.

"I slept last night." He said, avoiding her gaze. He slept last night, that wasn't a lie. But only for an hour. The chair wasn't that comfortable and he was just concerned about her.

Sylvie sighed, shaking her head. "I know you better than that, Detective Dawson. You may be able to fool anyone with the vague answer, but not me. If I stay one more night, you are going home for a few hours and getting some rest."

Antonio opened his mouth to argue with her but she shook her head, letting him know that he wouldn't win. So he just nodded his head. "Fine, but then I'm getting someone to stay with you."

Sylvie knew with that response, now she wasn't win this argument. "As long as they don't talk, I don't care." She said as she leaned her head back.

"Sylvie, you can't just talk to me." He was glad that she was talking to him, but she needed to be surrounded by all her friends.

She just stayed silent and she would have turned back on her side if he wasn't holding her hand. As much pain as she was feeling, she knew he was feeling the same way so she wasn't about to push him away.

A few minutes passed by and Dr. Halstead walked in with paperwork. "Hey Brett. How are you feeling?"

She just shrugged her shoulders and looked over at Antonio. "I'm okay." She tried to smile at him but that was hard to do right now.

"Well, everything looks fine now. Just come back in a week for a check up. I know how much you want to go back to work, but because of the surgery and everything, wait until after the check up, okay? Other than that, you're free to go." He gave her a smile and then he looked over at Antonio handing him the paperwork and then he walked out of the room.

An hour later, Antonio helped Sylvie over to the couch and he watched as she sat down. "Do you need anything?" He asked.

"No. Not right now." She said and then she looked over at the bedroom. "Actually, can we just go in the bedroom? You promised me you would rest."

After everything they went through, he couldn't help but let out a smile with how concerned she was about him.

Without saying a word, he lifted her up in his arms and she let out a squealed. "I could have walked in the bedroom, you know?"

"I know." He said as he leaned down and opened the door, then he walked inside the bedroom and he walked over to the bed. He placed her gently down on the bed and then he removed his shoes and then he hung up his jacket in the closet.

"Can I wear one of your shirts?" She asked.

"Of course." He said as he walked over to his dresser and he took out a shirt. He walked over to her and he handed it to her.

"Normally I don't care if you look, but with the surgery…" she trailed off, not wanting to sound silly or insecure.

Antonio nodded his head. "It's fine. I'll be right back anyway."

She watched as he walked out of the room and she sighed. This wasn't what she wanted, but she was glad that he understood.

A few minutes later, he walked back into the bedroom and he shut the door. He walked over to the table beside her and placed down a cup of water. "In case if I end up falling asleep and you are in pain, you can take your medicine."

She honestly thought he was the sweetest man in the world. She nodded her head as she laid back against the pillows. "Thank you."

Antonio nodded his head and he walked over to his side of the bed and he climbed inside. He wasn't sure if she wanted him near her and he wanted to give her space. This would never work if he was suffocating her. But before he could dwell on it, she moved closer to him and she laid her head on his chest.

"Go to sleep." She instructed him. "You have been the best boyfriend these last few days, so now go to sleep." In her eyes, she felt like her and Antonio had the perfect relationship because they always supported each other.

"Wake me up if you need me, okay?" He felt her nod her head against his chest and he leaned down, kissing her head.

Antonio didn't realize how tired he was until he closed his eyes and he was fast asleep in minutes.

—-

It has been a few days since she was released from the hospital and she felt like she was going insane. Antonio wouldn't even touch her, fearing that he would do something to hurt her. And every time he went off to work, she was left alone with her thoughts. It was crazy how much she was missing the baby when she didn't even know the sex of the baby. She didn't even feel the little kicks.

She was sitting on the bathroom floor by the time Antonio came home. She was covered in tears. She was sobbing so hard.

Antonio was looking for her when he noticed the bathroom door was ajar and he opened the door wider. "Sylvie." He said, his voice filled with concerned.

"I can't take this! I want my baby, I want our baby." She said in between sobs, her chest heaved as she controlled her breathing.

Antonio sat down on the bathroom floor and he pulled her into his arms. "Sylvie, you are stronger than you think. You will make it out of this."

"I don't want to live in a world that is this cruel. It's not fair!" She exclaimed, punching his back with her fists. "We would have been great parents to the baby."

Just then Antonio thought of something. "Come on, I want to take you somewhere."

She wiped away her tears, shaking her head. "Antonio, I don't want to see anyone. Not right now."

"No, we won't see anyone. Come on." He said, standing up, pulling her up with him. Thankfully, as much pain as she was in right now, she still dressed herself in jeans and a tshirt. "Let's go grab your coat. It's chilly out." He said as he walked out of the bathroom with her and he walked over to the closet, opening the door and grabbing her coat.

She placed on her coat, still not feeling up to this. Tears were still streaming down her face, but her breathing calmed down.

Once she was ready to leave, he took her hand in his and he walked out of the apartment. He locked the door and then he headed towards the elevators. They walked inside the elevators, as he looked over at her. "I can't promise you that this will get better, but you'll see that after every tragedy, a miracle can happen." He seen it before in his line of work. And in his personal life also.

As soon as they walked off the elevators, he walked out of the apartment building, heading towards his truck.

"Are you telling me I should be happy that I'm alive?" She asked.

"No, Sylvie. That's not what I meant. Not at all." He said as he opened the passenger door and she stepped inside.

Once she was safe in the truck, he closed the door and he walked over to the driver door and he opened the door. He stepped inside and he buckled his seat belt. He looked over at Sylvie, knowing this was the right thing to do.

Once they were ready, he started the truck and he drove off to the destination. The car ride was pretty silent and after 20 minutes, he parked outside of a cemetery.

Sylvie looked over at him confused. "What are we doing here?" Sylvie knew their baby wasn't here because the baby was so small. So she was confused.

"Come on out and let's find out." He took his key out of the ignition and he unbuckled his seat belt, stepping out of the truck, and she did the same.

At first Sylvie thought this was a case that he got involved with, but then thought quickly against it. Antonio was a great detective, and that was mainly because once the case was solved, he moved on to the next one.

She smiled slightly when he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "This would be better to show if it wasn't so cold out." He said, already sensing that Sylvie was cold.

"It's fine." She promised, a little intrigued on why they were here in the first place.

They stopped in front of a tombstone that read 'Sophia Dawson'. She was confused, but then thought maybe she was his sister and he lost her when he was younger? But then she read the date of her birth date and her death and it was the same year. "Huh?" She asked as she looked over at him.

"Me and Laura just got married and wasn't planning on having kids for at least a year. But god had other plans. 2 months later, she found out she was pregnant. First time parents, we were nervous but so excited." He said, recalling the happiest times of his life, but that turned into a tragedy. "I was working on an important case when I got a call that Laura was rushed to the hospital. She was only 6 months pregnant. My boss at the time said if I left, I would lose my job. But this is my family, you know? Laura needed me. When I got to the hospital, it was too late. For the baby anyway. The baby was in distress and by the time they did the emergency C-section, she was—gone." He raised his hand up and he wiped away a tear. "I blamed myself for that happening because Laura said she wasn't feeling right before I left for work but I told her it was normal. I'm not a damn doctor, I shouldn't have made that call. If I would have took her to the hospital when she said that, our baby would have survived." He said. He still beat himself over losing his first child.

"Hey. Like you said, you weren't a doctor. You were trying to make her feel better. It was also your first child so you didn't know." Sylvie said. Then she thought of something. "Maybe I shouldn't be here. I mean, Laura would probably flipped out if she knew we were here."

"Actually, she knows." He confessed. Her eyes widened at that revelation. "I went by the house to fill in the kids on how you were doing. They were worried about you. And Laura was nice today. She was the one that mentioned it would make you feel better."

She nodded her head, surprised that Laura said that, but then again, Laura shouldn't have no ill feelings about Sylvie, especially when she had a boyfriend. With the pain she was feeling right now, she wouldn't wish this on anyone. "Why didn't you tell me this? This must be tougher on you than it is on me. You already lost a child, and now you're going through this again." She said, incredulous.

"Honestly, this part of my past is something I don't like to relive. Losing our baby is different because I was there when you collapsed. With Laura, I wasn't there. Losing Sophia, it almost destroyed our marriage, and almost cost me my job."

"So, how was it a miracle then?" She asked, returning to what he told her earlier.

"Because I didn't lose my job. And 6 months later, Laura found out she was pregnant with Eva. I'm not saying Eva replaced the baby we lost, because she didn't." He leaned down on the tombstone as he ran his fingers over her name. "I never forgot her over the years. She's just my guardian angel, and to me, that is a miracle in itself."

Sylvie couldn't help but let out a huge smile when she realized something. She bent down next to him, placing her hand on his back. "And now in heaven, Sophia can look out for her brother or sister. I know that sounds silly—"

Antonio shook his head. "No, it doesn't." He leaned over and he brushed his lips against hers in a soft kiss.

As soon as he pulled away, she smiled at him. "Thank you for this. I know how hard this was. And you did it for me."

"It killed me to know how much pain you were in. And the pain never goes away. I still think of Sophia every day. But it's just different now."

She stood up and she nodded her head. "I know. But like you said, after a tragedy happens, a miracle can happen. Who knows what our miracle is going to be? But I sure can't wait to find out."

Antonio nodded his head as he looked down at his daughter's tombstone. He kissed his index finger and pressed it against her tombstone. "I'll be back soon baby girl. I love you." He looked over at Sylvie. "And now you can also be Sylvie's guardian angel and guide her through this pain."

Antonio stood up, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Miracles comes in all shapes and sizes, so it can be anything."

"I already feel like you falling in love with me is a miracle. Something I never thought was possible." She said, walking towards the truck. "As long as we have each other, and as long as we love each other through every hardship we face, we are going to be fine." Sylvie said, confidently.


	25. Chapter 25: I Promise

**A/N Just a small one. Enjoy!**

It was one of those rare nights where she was sleeping alone in her apartment. She figured since she was still paying rent on her apartment, some nights her and Antonio could be alone. She didn't know what she was thinking because she missed Antonio a lot.

She looked over at the clock and saw that it said 11:15 PM. She sighed. She could just get up, get dressed and go see Antonio but then again, it was late and they both had to get up for a shift in the morning.

So, instead of doing that, she closed her eyes and luckily that time she fell asleep. She couldn't wait to see her boyfriend tomorrow since he said that on his break, he would come and visit her.

A few hours later, she started dreaming about Antonio. At first it was just a normal dream, but then it turned into a nightmare. They were out on a date when someone started shooting at them. Antonio in turn, got shot and it was up to Sylvie to save his life.

She couldn't finish the dream because it felt too real. She bolted upright in bed, breathing heavily with tears streaming down her face. She didn't even realize that when she dreamed of her crying, that she was actually crying.

She had to make sure that Antonio was okay. She wouldn't be able to go back to sleep until she knew. She looked over at the clock and saw that it was close to 2:00 AM but she wouldn't calm down until she heard his voice.

She picked up her cell phone by the table beside her and she dialed his number. Hopefully he wouldn't yell at her, but she figured he wouldn't once he heard how upset she was.

It took about 5 rings before Antonio answered the phone, but once he did, she smiled slightly at his sleepily voice.

"Sylvie? Is everything okay?" He asked once he answered the phone.

"I–uh—this is silly." She said, knowing that he probably would realize at this moment how young she was compared to him. Obviously it was just a nightmare.

Hearing how upset she sounded, he sat up in bed. "Hey, it can't be silly if you called me. What's going on?" He asked as he looked over at the clock.

"I had a nightmare about you and I just wanted to make sure you're okay." She said, knowing prolonging the reason why she called could make him aggravated.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm okay. Just missing you." He confessed. "But I'm okay."

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea to spend the night apart." She said, nervously laughing. "But I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked.

"But hey, are you okay?" He asked, now awake and concerned for her.

"Yes. It was just a stupid nightmare." She admitted.

"Do you want me to come over?" He asked, already out of bed and getting ready to go over to her apartment.

"No, that's silly. You have to be up in a few hours, and so do I. Just go back to sleep."

"No, I'm coming. I'll be there soon. I love you." He said.

"I love you too. Be careful please." She was afraid that him coming out so late, her nightmare would come true.

"I will. See you soon." He hung up the phone as he slipped his shirt over his head. He put his shoes on and then he grabbed his gun and put it in his waistband.

20 minutes later, Sylvie heard a knock at the door. She was in the kitchen, drinking from a bottle of water. She placed it down and she walked over to the door. She took in a deep breath and she opened the door.

As soon as she saw him standing there, and seeing him okay, she flung herself in his arms. "You are just the best boyfriend ever." She said, smiling as she pulled away from his arms.

He looked down at what she was wearing, shorts and a tank top. "Babe. It's cold out. Aren't you cold?"

She shook her head. "No. I have heat, and besides even if I was, I now have you to keep me warm."

He looked at her suspiciously as he walked inside her apartment and he took off his jacket. "Remember, we have to get up in a few hours, so we can't do anything." He warned her.

"I promise I will behave. Come on." She said as she took his hand and pulled him towards her bedroom. She walked in her bedroom as she looked over at him. "Thank you for coming here. You didn't have to."

He took off his shoes and he shook his head. "I told you from the beginning this wasn't going to work. That we were going to miss each other a lot."

"It's just weird" she began as she climbed into bed. "I was never like this with anyone else. I wanted my space. I feel like you're making me lose my independence, Antonio Dawson."

He laughed as he climbed into bed next to her, pulling her in his arms. "Just because we love each other and want to spend time together doesn't mean you aren't independent anymore, Sylvie. It would be different if we spend every waking moment together, but we don't. So it's only understandable that when we can spend time together, we want to."

She smiled as she rested her head against his chest. "You're right."

He leaned over and he shut out the light. "So, let's not do this again, okay? We can always switch it up. One night sleep at my apartment, the next night you're off, we sleep at your apartment." He said as he leaned down, kissing her head.

"Okay. I promise we can do that." She said as she closed her eyes, feeling more relaxed now that she was laying in Antonio's arms.


	26. Chapter 26: Stuck with me

**A/N A story about Antonio getting shot. Enjoy!**

Sylvie walked out of the firehouse with Matt and Gabby, exhausted but she couldn't wait to see Antonio. Although he had to go to work, they could at least see each other for a little bit.

"Are you going to Antonio's?" Gabby asked.

"Yes." Sylvie replied tiredly. "But he has a shift so we can only see each other for like what, 15 minutes." She said sadly.

"Well, call me later if you're heading to Molly's." Gabby said.

"I will. See you guys later." She said her goodbyes to Matt and Gabby and she headed towards her car.

She opened her car and stepped inside, placing her paramedic bag on the passenger seat. After she got settled, she drove away, heading towards Antonio's apartment.

Once she made it to Antonio's apartment, she parked her car and unbuckled her seat belt. She made a mental note to come back out later for her bag. She took the key out of the ignition and she opened the door.

As she made it to Antonio's door, she knocked on the door. She really needed to get Antonio's key from him so she didn't wake him up. A few seconds later, he opened the door and she smiled at him.

"Well, look at you looking all good." She said flirtatiously as she walked inside his apartment.

"Don't talk like that when I have to leave for work soon." He warned her with a smile.

She groaned as she took off her coat. "Don't remind me. I love when we have off together, and I hate when we don't." She said sadly as she hung up her coat.

"I know. But I'll be home soon and then we can head to Molly's?" He suggested as he placed on his jacket.

"And then you want me to share you?" She gave him a teasing smile.

Antonio laughed as he walked over to her. "Of course not." He said as he leaned forward and he gave her a kiss. "It's up to you if you want to go to Molly's later or not." He said once the kiss ended. "I made breakfast, it's in the kitchen if you want some."

"Best boyfriend ever." She smiled as she gave him another kiss. "Be careful, okay?"

"I will." He promised as he headed towards the door. "I love you. Lock the door behind me, Sylvie."

She smiled as she walked after him and she nodded her head. "Okay. I love you too." Once he walked out, she locked the door and she took a deep breath.

After she was done eating the breakfast that he cooked for her, she walked into his bedroom and she took the braid out of her hair. Luckily some of her clothes were here so she dressed in her sweatpants and a tank top and then climbed into his bed. It felt weird that he wasn't next to her, but she was exhausted.

A few hours later she woke up to her phone ringing. Thinking it was Antonio, she jumped up and answered her phone. "Hello?" She asked, sleepily.

"Sylvie Brett?" The person on the other line asked.

"Um yes. Who is this?" She asked, fully waking up at this moment. It sounded important.

"It's Maggie from Chicago Med. I'm calling because…well Antonio Dawson was shot and he is now in surgery. He has you listed down on his emergency contact." She explained but hearing that Antonio was shot made her freaked out.

"What do you mean he was shot? Where? Is he okay?" Sure, she was freaking out, and she knew Maggie couldn't disclosed anything over the phone but this was all new for her. "Actually, I know you can't discuss that. I'll be right there." She said as she hung up her phone and then text Gabby to see if she knew.

She quickly got up from the bed and she sighed. She knew how dangerous Antonio's job was. It was the reason for his divorce in the first place, she just wanted to know how he was doing. Once she was dressed and looked a little presentable, hello her boyfriend was in surgery, she wasn't going to look her best, she heard her phone going off, signaling a text message. She grabbed her phone and she walked out of the bedroom.

Gabby told her that she would pick her up on the way to the hospital. She silently thanked her because honestly, with the way she was feeling and the way her mind was spinning, she would probably get in a car accident.

She slipped on her boots and then put on her coat. Damn, she told Antonio to be careful. Then she thought back at what Maggie said. Antonio put her down as his emergency contact. Why not Gabby? She was happy he did so, but right now, knowing he was in surgery, that was what her mind was focus on.

Before she could think too much about it, Gabby text her saying that she was outside. She wished that she never let him leave the house this morning, but then again, this is his job after all, and she certainly wasn't going to turn into his ex-wife. No way in hell.

She unlocked the door and then walked out of the apartment. She locked the door from inside hoping that worked. Yeah, she definitely needed his key, they were getting too serious for her not to have it.

A few minutes later, she walked out of the apartment building and she walked over to Gabby's car. She thought Matt would be with Gabby since she would need the support, but then she thought maybe he was with Louie. They really didn't know how long they would be at the hospital.

She opened the passenger door and she got inside. She buckled her seat belt and she looked over at Gabby. "How are you holding up?" She asked in a low voice.

"Well, I mean, at least this time he isn't in my arms bleeding out." Gabby said and Sylvie looked over at her with a puzzled looked.

"What do you mean?" Sylvie asked.

"He got shot this one time and I was the only one in the parking lot. Now that was tough. But one thing you have to know about Antonio is that he expects this to happen. He will tell you that getting shot is a part of being a great detective."

Sylvie nodded her head, he sure sounded like something Antonio would say. "I know being a paramedic, I should be used to this. But when it's your own boyfriend—" she trailed off.

"Did you know he made you his emergency contact?" Gabby asked, changing the subject to something hopefully lighter.

"No. I mean, I know we're pretty serious. But that serious? Not really. I don't understand why." She said as she bit down on her lip.

"Well, it means that in case of an emergency, he wanted you to know that he was shot." Gabby said simply which made Sylvie laughed.

"I know what it means, Gabby." She said, shaking her head.

Before Gabby could say anything else, she pulled up to Med and as soon as Gabby parked, Sylvie jumped out of the car.

"Watch it, Sylvie." Gabby warned as she got out of the car and walked beside her. "I don't want to explain to Antonio when it wakes up why you're also in the hospital."

Sylvie looked over at Gabby with a perplexed expression. "How can you be so calm when your brother is in surgery?"

"Because if there is one good thing I can say about Antonio is that he always makes it through. He'll be fine."

Sylvie nodded her head, visibly relaxing after Gabby said that. "I'm sorry, I know I am a mess. This is all new to me." She said, feeling guilty.

"Hey, you're doing okay. At least you aren't crying where I can't understand you." Gabby smiled at her, trying to comfort her.

They walked over to the desk where Maggie was. Gabby was the first one to speak. "Hey Maggie. How's Antonio?"

Maggie gave them both a smile and she started discussing how Antonio was shot in the stomach, but that he made it through the surgery and now he was just sleeping. "You can go wait in the waiting room and I'll let a doctor know you're here." They both nodded and said thanks.

Once they were both seated, Sylvie looked at Gabby. "I know he's your brother and I don't have to say this—but thanks for being here. If I would have came on my own, I would have been a mess."

Gabby smiled and she nodded her head. "Just lets be happy that we weren't the paramedics that found him. I'm fine now, but seeing my brother bleeding, it always upsets me." She confessed.

Sylvie leaned over and she grabbed her hand, squeezing it. "I guess, that we can be grateful for then."

They looked up when Dr. Rhodes came in the waiting room and they both stood up. "Antonio Dawson got really lucky, but we were able to take out the bullet with no damage to his organs. He may need to stay here for a few days, but other than that he's fine." He looked over at Sylvie. "He's asking for you."

She was relieved to know that he was waking up. She looked over at Gabby. "You want to—"

Gabby immediately shook her head, she knew how much Sylvie needed to see Antonio. "No, go. I'm going to go check in with Matt." She said, letting her know it was fine.

Sylvie gave her an appreciative hug and then she rushed to see Antonio. Dr. Rhodes showed her his room and she walked inside.

As soon as she walked inside, her heart broke. He was hooked to machines and he looked like he was in pain, but other than that, he looked great for someone who just got shot.

Sensing someone was in the room, he opened his eyes and he looked at her. She immediately walked over to him and sat down on the chair next to him. "You scared me." She said, finally letting herself become emotional.

"Hey." He said as he moved his hand on her face, stroking her cheek. "I'm fine. I'm okay." He promised. "Did you really think I was going to leave you?" He asked, his voice cracking.

By this time, tears were streaming down her face and he wiped them away. "I love you so much." She smiled through her tears. "I didn't even know you put me down as your emergency contact."

Antonio smiled as he tried to sit up but he was in too much pain. He shook his head, letting her know it was okay. "Well, I figured since we are together now, you are the most logical choice. I mean, I don't know about you—but I know this relationship isn't going to end anytime soon. If ever."

"But why not Gabby?" She asked, still not understand it.

"Look, I love Gabby, I do. But she has her own family now. Who is to say that if something were to happen, she could come right away?" He asked and right then, it made perfect sense to Sylvie. He had a point. "I love you, Sylvie. And I know it was tough to hear that I was shot. But I also know if you had to make decisions, you would. And you would also call my family, my kids if needed to be."

Sylvie nodded her head. "But I didn't call your kids now." She pointed out.

"That's okay. I can call them." He said. "This was really nothing."

"It didn't feel like nothing. I thought I was going to lose you." She said, sadly.

"Hey. You're never going to lose me. You're stuck with me. Forever."

"I like the sound of that." She said as she leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Get some rest. I'm not leaving your side." She promised and she watched as he closed his eyes.


	27. Chapter 27: Go to sleep

**A/N Just a small one. Enjoy!**

Sylvie sighed as she laid back on the bed and ran her hands through her hair. She was having trouble sleeping tonight and it irritated her that Antonio was sleeping so well. What was the point of being in a relationship when he would ignore her when she couldn't sleep?

She stood up from the bed and she walked out of the room. She thought maybe warm milk would make her sleepy. She walked in the kitchen and she took out a glass and then opened the refrigerator. She took out the milk and walked over to the counter, she placed the glass on the counter and then took out a pot. She poured milk in the pot and then placed the pot on the stove and then turned on the stove.

After it was done a few minutes later, she turned off the stove and poured the milk in the glass. She took a sip and after she finished the glass, she cleaned the glass and pot and put them away.

She walked back in his bedroom and she sighed when she noticed he was still sleeping peacefully.

She climbed on the bed and she threw a pillow at his head. "Wake up."

He groaned, shaking his head. "I'm sleeping. Something you should do."

"I can't!" She exclaimed. "Don't you think if I could, I would?" She asked, exasperated.

"Please Sylvie, go to sleep." He said, getting annoyed. A few seconds later, he fell back in a deep sleep.

She picked up her phone to look through social media, but realized that was just boring her more.

She laid back on the bed and she looked over at Antonio. She then thought of something. She leaned over and started poking him in his cheeks with her index finger.

He slapped her finger away without moving. A few seconds later, she did it again. She wasn't normally this annoying, but she was never this bored before.

"Sylvie!" He said, getting frustrated. "If you don't stop this, I will lock you in that damn closet."

Sylvie laughed. "You wouldn't do that." She challenged.

"Sylvie please, go to sleep!" He said, pulling the covers over his head.

Sylvie shook her head and she sighed. Great, now she couldn't even see his face. "But now I can't even lay on you." She pouted.

He moved the covers off his head and he shook his head. "Come on then." He said, obviously not in the mood. She looked over at the clock, it was 2:00 am.

She smiled as she moved over closer to him and she laid her head on his chest. But after trying to go to sleep for 20 minutes, she was bored yet again. And she could tell by his breathing that he was back to sleep. He wasn't being a fun boyfriend right now.

She decided to try to poke him again. No way would he lock her in the closet. He loved her too much.

She raised her index finger and started poking him in the ribs, which she realized at his reaction that was a mistake.

He jerked out of his sleep and he opened his eyes. "What is the matter with you?! That hurts, Sylvie!"

Sylvie just shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not going to stop poking you until you give me some attention." She said, matter-of-factly.

Antonio groaned and he rubbed his eyes. "You're being very annoying." He complained.

"I can't sleep. If you couldn't sleep, I would stay up with you." She said, pouting.

"Fine. You know, I'm starting to see having a girlfriend is a pain in the ass. Actually no, I already knew you were a pain in my ass." He said, jokingly.

Sylvie laughed as she leaned her hand up and patted his cheek. "You're not hurting me saying that. It wouldn't be a real relationship if I didn't annoy you."

Antonio laughed, shaking his head. "I'm just so tired, Sylvie."

"I know. But I'll make it worth your while." She promised as she moved over on top of him. She straddled his waist as she leaned down and kissed his neck.


	28. Chapter 28: Only one I want

**A/N Enjoy!**

Sylvie hated these days off when Antonio had to work. The day just dragged on and on, and she could have slept, but she was so used to sleeping next to him. So, around lunch time, she dragged herself out of her bed and decided to surprise him for lunch.

She hoped he wasn't busy and could afford to have lunch with her. She knew she should have texted him, but she wanted to surprise him. Hopefully that surprise wouldn't be a mistake.

She walked over to her closet and she looked through her outfit choices. She picked out her favorite pair of jeans and she slipped out of her pajamas, she pulled the jeans up over her legs. She sighed. "Why does my favorite pair of jeans, have to be skinny jeans?" She groaned but then smiled when she pulled it over her hips and then buttoned them up.

Now, what shirt goes well with this jeans? She decided to put on a tank top and then she slipped on a tan sweater. She walked over to her mirror in her bedroom and smiled at how cute she looked. Usually she didn't care because she knew Antonio could careless about what she wore, but since this was a surprise, she wanted to look cute so he couldn't turn her down for lunch.

She walked over to her shoes and she smirked at how many shoes she had. But she decided to put on her black boots. She sat down on the edge of the bed as she slid them on her feet. As she fastened up the last boot, she thought back on the time she seduced Antonio.

He wanted to take things slow, and honestly, she wanted that too. But then they started spending a lot of time together, and she just couldn't. No woman in their right mind could take things slow with Antonio Dawson. So, she came up with a plan to seduce him. Sure, she understood it had consequences, but the end result was amazing.

She shook her head from the thought and she stood up. No time to think about this. She walked out of the bedroom and she walked in the bathroom. She decided to just throw her hair in a ponytail. It was quick and easy.

After she was done, she walked out of the bathroom and she walked in the living room. She picked up her coat and she slipped it on. She grabbed her keys from the desk and she opened the door. She walked out, locking the door behind her.

30 minutes later, she was outside the 21st district with a bag of Chinese food. It was something they could eat fast and that didn't make a big mess. She took a deep breath and she walked inside. Going through Platt was going to be tougher than anything else. But before she could walked up to her, Jay Halstead stopped her.

"Sylvie, hey." He said, smiling at her. "Are you here to see Antonio?"

Sylvie bit the inside of her cheek nervously. She nodded her head. "Unless he's busy…"

Jay smiled, shaking his head. "No. He's just in there–" he said, pointing towards the room. "I'm sure he will be out in a few minutes, he's just wrapping up a discussion with someone."

Sylvie nodded her head and she said thanks to Jay as she headed over towards the bench and waited for him. But since the room he was in, was right there she heard the conversation.

She heard Antonio's voice. "Hey, thanks for helping out with this case."

Sylvie sat there nervously and when she heard a woman's voice, she froze, listening intently to what was going on.

"Oh, it was my pleasure. I always have a good time working with your unit." She said, and Sylvie could swear she was flirting with him. But then she thought maybe her mind was playing tricks on her. "Especially you."

Sylvie wanted to get up and interrupt their conversation, but her feet wouldn't allow her to stand up just yet.

"Uh, well. I guess we'll keep in touch?" Antonio tried to act professionally, since that was who Antonio was.

She heard them walking towards the door but then they stopped. She wished she could see what was going on. She trusted Antonio, she did, she just didn't trust this woman.

"Maybe we can go to dinner tonight….and discuss some cases?" She suggested, making Sylvie sick to her stomach.

Antonio shook his head. "Sorry, I can't." He said, not wanting to elaborate more. It wasn't that he didn't want to say he had a girlfriend, it was just none of her business.

"Why not?" She said. And at this moment, Sylvie found the strength to stand up and looked in the room. Antonio's back was to her so she couldn't see his face, which was lucky for her because she wanted to see how this was going to play out.

But then she noticed this woman's hand on her boyfriend's arm. Anger filled inside of her in a way that it never did before. Was it Anger? Or was it jealously? Sylvie didn't know. All she knew was this woman needed to get her hand off her boyfriend's arm.

It was like Antonio was reading her mind because he took her hand off his arm. "Listen, let's just keep this professional. I don't date other detectives."

Sylvie heard enough, she couldn't take it anymore and this woman was wasting their time that they could spend together.

"It's just for fun–" the woman said as Sylvie opened the door wider, neither of them realizing the door was ajar. "We're busy." The woman snapped.

"Like the hell you are." Sylvie was the nicest person to anybody, but mess with her boyfriend, the person will see a side of Sylvie no one in Chicago saw before. "Back away from him." She warned.

Antonio's eyes widened when he saw Sylvie. He knew he should have told her that he had a girlfriend, but honestly he didn't think anything of it.

The woman looked from Antonio to Sylvie and she could sense between them that they were together…or at least involved in a way or another.

"I wouldn't trust him." The woman warned. "He didn't even tell me about you."

Sylvie laughed and Antonio could tell from the laugh, it wasn't because she found anything funny. He walked over to Sylvie and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down."

Sylvie looked over at the woman "Says the woman that is flirting with my man. He isn't in here flirting back, is he?" She glared at the woman. "Just leave."

The woman was lucky that she was standing in the police department, and that she was a detective, because if she wasn't, Sylvie wouldn't have calmed down.

The woman just rolled her eyes and left them alone. They were both silent for a few seconds as Sylvie placed the bag of food on the table, her appetite completely replenished.

"Hey." Antonio said, getting her attention, but she was still so angry. Not at him. But at the woman. "Baby."

She turned to look at him and she shook her head. "I knew I should have text you. But I wanted to surprise you."

Antonio walked over to her and he pulled her in his arms. "Hey, you did surprise me. And you know you never have to text me." He said as he nuzzled her neck, which in response he got a laugh from her.

He smiled and he pulled away from her. "Come on, let's eat."

"You're not busy?" She asked.

"No. I have time." He promised. "Not much time, but I have time."

She nodded her head as he unwrapped his arms around her waist and pulled out a chair for her. She sat down as he pulled up a chair beside her. She started taking out the cartons. "I just figured Chinese food is faster."

Antonio nodded his head as he took a deep breath. A few seconds later, he smirked. "You were jealous, weren't you?"

Sylvie looked over at him and she laughed. "No. It wasn't like you were flirting back." She said, obviously lying.

Antonio smirked. "Uh huh, sure." He opened up the carton and he picked up the plastic fork and he started eating. As he chewed and swallowed his food, he looked over at Sylvie. "I'm just saying you never called me your man before. I like it." He leaned over and he whispered in her ear. "And seeing you angry turned me on." He pulled away and he smirked at her.

"Stop, Antonio." She groaned. After a few moments of silence, she nodded her head. "Fine, I was jealous. More angry than jealous, but jealous nonetheless." She admitted.

"But why?" He asked, his expression turning serious. "I mean, I know I didn't mention you, but it wasn't because I didn't want her to know. It was just none of her business."

Sylvie smiled softly and she nodded her head. "I know, Antonio. I know how private you are, especially when it comes to your job. That wasn't why I was jealous." She was just picking at her food, she wasn't really in the mood for it anymore. "Just seeing her hand on your arm—-I don't know. I'm not a violent person, but I just wanted to strangle her."

"But again I ask, why?" He asked as he took a paused from eating as he kept his full attention on her. "You know what I felt when she touched me? Nothing. It's nothing compared to when you touch me. All you have to do is hold my hand and I feel all these things." He confessed and at that revelation her heart melted, and made this all seem silly. "You're the only one I want."

She nodded her head as she moved her hand on his face. "I guess I should feel lucky." She leaned forward and she gave him a kiss. When the kiss ended, she smiled at him. "And I do feel lucky."

After that, they just started talking about normal things, like how his day was going, how her day was going, and what they would be doing later. Sylvie looked down at her watch and she took a deep breath.

"I should get going." She said as she stood up, placing the empty cartons back in the bag and she walked over to the trash can, throwing them out.

"I'll walk you out." He said as he stood up, taking her hand.

"Such a gentleman." She beamed at him as they walked out of the room and she headed towards the stairs.

"I'll see you later, okay?" Sylvie said as she leaned up and kissed his cheek. She knew he wasn't big on PDA, especially in here. So, his next move surprised her.

Antonio leaned down and he brushed his lips against hers. "Okay. Be careful."

"I'm not the one who is at work." She laughed. "You be careful." She smiled at him and then a second later, she headed down the stairs, walking out the district.


	29. Chapter 29: Crazy Holiday

**A/N This is a Christmas story. I want to post all stories so I know Christmas is far over lol but I feel like this is cute.**

It was a few days before Christmas and there was just so much that Sylvie wanted–no needed to do. They were having a Christmas party at the firehouse tonight, and then tomorrow it was the 21st district Christmas party.

Actually, the party wasn't at the firehouse, it was at a hall and Sylvie was freaking out on what to wear. She was glad though that Antonio was able to come with her. He was working today though, it wasn't a long shift so she decided to go dress shopping with Gabby.

She just threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater and then she slipped on her coat. She grabbed her purse and keys and she headed out of her apartment. Usually Gabby would picked them up, but since they were shopping, she didn't want to bring Louie, in case he acted up. So, Matt was watching him and Sylvie suggested it would be easier to pick her up.

She locked the door as she turned around and headed out of her apartment building. She walked over to her car when her phone went off, signaling a text message. She took out phone out of her pocket and smiled when she saw that it was Antonio. It had been a while since she was with someone on Christmas, and deep down inside, she was happy about it. Christmas was her favorite holiday after all.

Hey baby. Just checking in to make sure you're having a good day. See you in a few hours. Love you.

Sylvie smiled as she opened her car and stepped inside. He was really the sweetest man. To everyone else, this text wasn't really anything, but knowing that he took the time out of his busy day to text her meant everything to her.

Before she started her car, she text him back.

Just missing you. I'll see you in a few hours. I love you, please be careful.

After she hit sent, she put her phone down next to her and she started her car, placing on her seat belt. A few seconds later she pulled away from the curb, driving to Gabby and Matt's apartment.

Once she was there, she honked her horn. She didn't mean to be rude, but they were on a tight schedule and the party was in 5 hours. She hoped she could find something to wear that would make her look cute for tonight.

Gabby walked out, closing the door behind her. She walked over to Sylvie's car and she opened the door. "Hey you." She said as she got inside and buckled her seat belt.

"Hey." Sylvie said with a smile. "Ready to shop?" She asked and once Gabby was ready, she pulled away.

"Oh hell yes." Gabby smiled. "Hey, do you know what you're getting Antonio for Christmas yet?" She asked.

Sylvie looked over at her. "Gabby, Christmas is in a few days." She pointed out.

"I know. I already brought Matt's gift. I was just asking if you knew what you were getting Antonio." Gabby said.

"I actually got him a few things. I know it's cheesy, I know." Sylvie said as she turned her attention back to the road. "But since the guy pretty has everything, I just made him a photo album of us together, and a lot of it is also with the kids. I then brought him a new jacket and a watch." She said, biting down on her bottom lip to hear Gabby's reaction.

"I think the photo album is a cute idea." Gabby said truthfully.

"Thank you. I just didn't know what else to do. I also added in important dates and messages of our relationship so far. Of course since it's still new, I have to add a lot more." Sylvie said, smiling. "Guys are just so hard shopping for."

Gabby laughed and she nodded her head. "Yes they are. But truthfully Sylvie, you gave Antonio all that he wanted. Not only do you love him, but you accept his kids."

Sylvie nodded her head as she parked in the parking lot. "But I just wanted to show him how much I do love him." She said as she unbuckled her seat belt and took her keys out of her ignition. "What are you getting Matt?" Sometimes it still felt weird to call him by his first name, but they all gotten really close over the last few months.

They both got out of the car and they headed inside the store. "Just more tools. And I got him a shirt that says world's best dad. I know that is going to mean more to him than anything else." She confessed.

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "Yes, it will."

"To be honest, we could just dress in little outfits and it would make them happy." Gabby laughed.

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "Of course they would be. We have two amazing boyfriends." She headed over to where the dresses were and started browsing through them.

—-

A few hours later, Sylvie dropped off Gabby back at her apartment, telling her that she would see her soon.

It took them a while to find something they both liked, but Sylvie decided on a dark red short dress, it was classy but for sure going to drive Antonio crazy the whole night. What was the point of having a boyfriend if she couldn't tease him?

Gabby decided on a tan dress that Sylvie knew she would look flawless in. They then went and brought some earrings and new high heels.

Sylvie parked outside her apartment and she turned off her car. She took the key out of the ignition and got out of the car. She walked up to her apartment and then she unlocked her door.

The only thing she was stuck on was on how to do her hair. But she figured she would worry about that when it was time to do her hair.

Two hours later, she slipped her dress on. She looked at herself in the mirror and she smiled at herself. Oh yeah, she looked hot. If she wasn't with Antonio, she knew she would have to stay close to Gabby and Stella tonight in fear of someone hitting on her. She smirked, knowing that would make Antonio jealous though. Hopefully she could see a jealous Antonio Dawson tonight.

She placed on her earrings and then she looked at herself in the mirror. She wanted to do something different with her hair. Something that she never done before, or at least not in a long time. She started thinking about her time back in Indiana and then an idea came to her.

She thought of a side bun that most celebrities wore. She used to do this style all the time, especially when her and Harrison were having problems, because she always felt cute with it in her hair. She opened her cabinet in her bathroom and she took out bobby pins.

30 minutes later, she looked at her finishing touch in her hair, making sure that it was perfect. She added in extra bobby pins for it to feel more secure. Feeling satisfied, she started applying makeup on her face. Not much, but enough to look great.

As she walked in the living room and started putting on her heels, she heard a knock at the door. She smiled, knowing it was Antonio. As she strapped up the last shoe, she walked over to the door and opened it.

Her breath caught in her throat as she saw Antonio standing there, looking hot as ever. He was wearing a suit, and damn, she wished they didn't have to leave right away.

Antonio felt the same way she was feeling and he couldn't remember seeing anyone as beautiful as she looked. Of course, he always thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. "Wow." He said, and without wasting another moment, he closed the distance between them and pulled her in his arms. He leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers in an urgent kiss.

After a few seconds, she pushed him away slightly, knowing this could get heated. "Later." She promised. "But right now, we have to go." She walked over and she grabbed her purse and then she walked back over to him.

Antonio groaned but he nodded his head. "Fine." He gave her a smile to let her know he was only teasing.

They both walked out of her apartment and she locked her door. He took her hand, leading her over to his truck. "I missed you today." She confessed.

"I missed you too baby." He smiled as he opened the passenger door for her. "Promise me one thing."

"Anything." She said as she climbed into his truck.

"Stay close to me." He said.

She smiled and she nodded her head. "I will. I promise."

He gave her a smile and he shut the door once she was safety in. Every time he smiled at her, she felt her insides exploding with joy. Antonio didn't smile much, but around her, he was always smiling. And to her, it was an amazing feeling.

45 minutes later, they walked in the hall where the Christmas party was at. It was packed already, she tightly squeeze his hand.

"Hey, it's going to be a good night." He said to her and in response she nodded her head.

"Thank you for coming." She said to him as they walked further into the party.

"Wouldn't want to be anywhere else tonight." He said. He noticed Gabby and Matt and he led Sylvie over to them. "Hey sis." He said, grabbing her attention. She turned and smiled at them, giving them each a hug. Matt shook his hand and gave Sylvie a hug.

"I love your hair." Gabby gushed. "I knew we would look hot tonight!"

Sylvie laughed and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Stella walking by them. She grabbed her arm, pulling her into their conversation.

"Someone could have joined our girls day out but didn't want to!" Sylvie said, acting hurt.

Stella laughed. "Hey, this place wouldn't look this nice if it wasn't for me." She looked at her two best friends seeing what they chose to wear. "Okay, I see you girls." She nodded her head in approval.

Matt and Antonio were busy discussing other things to pay attention to their girl talk.

"You look hot too!" Gabby said. She leaned in and whispered. "Someone is trying to get lucky tonight, huh?"

Sylvie and Stella laughed, shaking their heads. Gabby was crazy, but they both loved her. "You both shouldn't be the only ones that should get lucky tonight, you know?"

At that comment, Sylvie turned her attention to Antonio and she smiled at him. Gabby leaned over and hit Stella. "Look at what you did, we lost her!" She said, jokingly.

Antonio noticed her eyes on his and he smiled back at her. She turned her attention back to the girls and she laughed. "You didn't lose me!" Sylvie said, shaking her head. She looked around at how beautiful the hall was. "You did a wonderful job with this."

They all agreed with Sylvie and after a few minutes, Antonio came over to her, placing his hand on her back. "Come on. Let's go say hi to other people."

She looked over at him suspiciously and she nodded her head. They walked away from everyone as he leaned down and whispered in her ear. "I just wanted you to myself for at least 5 minutes." He said.

Sylvie looked over at him and she smiled softly at him. "Sweetest man alive." She looked over at the alcohol on the table and she walked over. "Come on, let's have a drink."

Antonio walked over with her and he picked up two beers. But she shook her head, reaching to make a martini. He laughed as he placed back a beer and then opened his own. He took a swig as he waited for her to be done making her drink.

After she was done, he walked over to the corner to stay out of view. Or that was what she thought he was doing.

He leaned over and he whispered in her ear. "Guess what?" He asked with a smile.

"What?" She asked, curiously.

"Look up." He instructed her and as soon as she lifted her head, she noticed they were under a mistletoe.

She laughed, shaking her head. "You know if you wanted a kiss, you could have asked."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, but that wouldn't have been romantic. And besides, it's not every day we will stand under the mistletoe." He pointed out. He leaned forward and he brushed his lips against hers in a soft kiss. But after a few seconds, the kiss deepened. He pulled away, needing air. "Come on, let's go socialize."

For the next few hours, they talked with everyone, and by everyone, it was literally everyone. For Antonio only being a detective, he knew a lot of people since some people also worked with arson cases.

Sylvie realized she was feeling…well drunk. And Antonio was looking way too good to stay here at this party. She also knew he was tired. She leaned into his ear and she whispered. "Take me home."

"Your apartment?" He asked her.

She shook her head. As much as she loved her apartment, she just loved his apartment a little more. Besides, her apartment was messy.

He nodded his head and he started saying goodbye to everyone. He was looking for Gabby but figured her and Matt must have left a while ago.

Antonio helped her over to his truck and helped her inside. He knew he should have cut her off with drinks, but thankfully she wasn't throwing up.

He closed the passenger door as he walked over to his side and he got inside.

"You know what I love most about Christmas?" She asked, slurring her words.

"Can't be the eggnog because you didn't have any." He said, laughing. He leaned over and buckled her seat belt and then he buckled his own. He started his truck and drove off.

"I just love the feeling of it. I love the feeling of the love of joy this season brings to everyone. I haven't had much joy over Christmas for a long time." She confessed.

As he was driving, he looked over at her. She must have saw the look on his face because she immediately shook her head.

"This is the first time in years that I'm really excited for Christmas and that's all because of you." She said with a smile. She leaned her head back against the head rest.

"Just like for the first time in years that I'm happy in general and it is all because of you." He said as he leaned over and placed his hand on her thigh.

She wasn't sure if it was because of her being intoxicated, but as soon as his hand rested on her thigh, she felt a wave of heat overcome her body. She bit down on her bottom lip. "Hurry, please."

He was confused at first but as he looked over at her and could see her biting down on her lip, he knew why she said that. He laughed, shaking his head. "Baby, I'm almost there."

A few minutes later, he parked his truck and he unbuckled his seat belt. "Don't move. I'll come around and help you." He ordered as he shut off his truck and took his key out of the ignition. He opened his car and stepped out. He walked over to her side and opened the door. He leaned down and he unbuckled her seat belt, helping her out.

"I'm okay, Antonio." She said, but she allowed him to wrap his arm around her.

A few minutes later, they walked inside his apartment. Before he could remove his jacket, she started kissing his neck. "I love you so much." She said against his neck.

"I love you too baby." He said, meaning that with his heart and soul. He noticed a few guys checking her out, but as long as they didn't approach her, he didn't care.

He pulled her away from his neck as he captured her lips with his own. Ever since he saw her in the dress, he just wanted her. He lifted her up as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

He walked in his bedroom and he kicked the door shut with his foot. He knew since Christmas was only a few days away, they were going to be busy so tonight he wanted to spend time with his girlfriend before this crazy holiday made it nearly impossible.


	30. Chapter 30: A Christmas to remember

**A/N A long Christmas story. Enjoy!**

Last night it was Antonio's Christmas party, he didn't want to stay late because with Christmas only two days away, he and Sylvie had a lot of things they had to do.

Since they were back at his apartment pretty early last night, they woke up around 8 AM. Antonio yawned as he lifted his hands to rubbed his eyes.

"My day off and I am still up early." Sylvie complained as she stood up. Since she was pretty excited about Christmas, she took a few personal days to enjoy Christmas with Antonio.

"Hey, you wanted this." He reminded her as he got out of bed and walked over to his dresser.

"I know." Her face broke out in a smile. "I love the gifts I got the kids." She never shopped for teenagers before, so it was hard. But she was glad with the gifts she chose.

"You know the kids adore you, so you didn't have to do that."

"It's Christmas, Antonio. So, you're saying since you adore me, I don't have to give you a gift or vice versa?" She threw back at him, to which he just rolled his eyes to.

"Never mind." He said with a laugh as he pulled out clothes from the dresser. "I have to go somewhere real fast. Do you need anything while I'm out?"

She looked over at him and frowned. "But I'm off today. I thought we could do something."

"And we will. I shouldn't be gone for long. Maybe an hour at the most." He said as he walked over to her. "I promise." He leaned down and he tried to give her a kiss on her lips, but she moved her head. "Baby." He said in a warning tone.

She knew she was being selfish but she didn't want to leave his side, she wanted to enjoy her time off with him as much as she could. "Fine." She said, after a few minutes, giving in. He was giving her whatever she wanted to have a great Christmas. She leaned over and gave him a kiss. "I'll just start baking the cookies." She said after the kiss ended.

"But the Christmas dinner is in two days." He pointed out. Sylvie wanted a dinner with the kids, Gabby, Matt, Louie, and whoever else wanted to come from the firehouse. Antonio was against it, not really wanting to go through the trouble. Obviously he was getting the kids on Christmas, but not until the evening time and figured Laura would have a dinner of her own. But somehow she changed his mind. He couldn't remember how, all he could remember was how good her lips felt on his neck.

"I know. But I'm making a lot so I want to get started."

He nodded his head as he placed his clothes on the bed. He walked out of the room and headed into the bathroom, wanting a shower before he left.

—–

An hour later, he walked back in the apartment, closing the door behind him and locking it. It wasn't like he wanted to leave, but since he wanted to give her, her gift, he needed to leave. He smiled as he smell the cookies, just realizing at that moment how hungry he was. He wasn't big on sweets, at least not like her, but he still occasionally enjoyed cookies and ice cream.

He took off his jacket and he hung it up in the closet. Then he headed into the kitchen. "Hey baby." He said as he walked over to the refrigerator and opened it. He took out a bottle of water and opened the cap, taking a sip.

"Hey." She smiled at him. "Are you going to tell me where you were?" She questioned.

"Nope." He said, shaking his head. "You'll find out soon enough."

The cookies were in the oven baking, so she had free time to pester him. She walked over to him and she placed her hands on his chest. "You know I hate surprises." She said as she leaned forward and started kissing his neck.

Knowing where she was going with this, he pushed her away slightly. "No. You will just have to wait." He said as he walked over to the counter and smiled, seeing that she made breakfast. "Thought you would be busy making cookies."

"I figured you would be hungry when you came home." She wasn't hurt that he pushed her away. Hopefully her surprise was good.

Antonio took a plate from the cabinet and he started putting food on his plate.

—

After he was done eating, and Sylvie was done baking cookies for right now, they decided to relax on the couch for a few minutes, since they were gonna be busy all day.

"So, is the gift you're giving me big?" She questioned as she laid her head on his chest as his arm was wrapped around her.

"No, not really." He said vaguely, an indication to let her know he wasn't going to tell her. "I'm not questioning your gift for me."

"That's because I didn't leave to go get it." She pointed out.

"Baby please. I just want your surprise to be special."

"Okay." She finally agreed. She leaned over and she kissed his cheek.

Antonio pondered for a few minutes of what else they should do to celebrate Christmas. He just wanted the next two days to be special for her.

"You know, if you know how to ice skate, we can do that." He suggested.

Sylvie smiled as she sat up, nodding her head enthusiastically. " Yes."

He laughed at her reaction. "And then afterwards, we can go Christmas Caroling."

She froze as she looked at him, shaking her head. "No." She groaned. "I don't know why you love my voice, but I'm not singing to anyone."

Antonio laughed as he stood up. "I'm telling you, your voice is amazing. But okay." The only time she ever sang was when she was in the shower, and she never realized he was listening.

Sylvie shrugged her shoulders as she stood up and walked into the kitchen. She placed the rest of the cookies in a container and placed them in the refrigerator. She wanted to decorate them, but she wanted the kids to help her.

As she was done with that, she walked out of the kitchen and headed into the bedroom.

—–

An hour later they walked in the ice skating rink, with Sylvie hyper than ever. "I haven't ice skate in forever."

Antonio smiled and he nodded his head. "I used to come here all the time with the kids." Laura hated ice skating, so he was always taking the kids by himself, but that formed a tradition with only them, so in the end it just turned out special for them.

"We should have invited them then." She suggested.

"No, it's okay." He said, giving her a smile. "Come on, let's go have fun!"

Sylvie laughed and she shook her head as she walked after him. He was truly making this the best Christmas she ever had. If only she knew what was in store for her.

After they sat down and placed on the skates on their feet, they both stood up. He took her hand as he led her over to the ice. He knew by the way she was walking, she knew how to skate, but he still wanted to keep touching her.

Once they were on the ice, they started skating around. He smiled as he kept his eyes on her, loving how happy she looked.

"Hey." He said, getting her attention. "How happy are you?" He questioned.

She smiled as she let go of his hand. "So beyond happy. Blissfully happy."

He nodded his head as his face turned serious. "I am too. And that's all because of you."

She stopped skating when he said that. She noticed him looking over at someone, nodding his head. "What was that?" She questioned.

Antonio didn't say anything, she would know in time.

A few seconds later, music started playing. But that wasn't what had Sylvie's attention at the time. It was the people surrounding them, making a circle and skating. They were singing along with the music.

Forever can never be long enough for me

To feel like I've had long enough with you

Forget the world now, we won't let them see

But there's one thing left to do

Sylvie turned her attention to the man responsible for this, but he just shook his head, letting her know that in time she would understand what this was about. He took her hand and then he nodded his head, telling her it was okay. He had a plan after all. She turned her attention back to the group of people, wondering how Antonio got people to agree with this. Their ages range from teenagers to adults.

Now that the weight has lifted

Love has surely shifted my way

Marry me

Today and every day

Marry me

Antonio smiled as he seen how mesmerize she was to the group of people singing this to her. They were surrounding them, but honestly this wasn't even the best part. He had a whole speech and if she said yes, that would be the best part, at least for him.

Together can never be close enough for me

To feel like I am close enough to you

You wear white and I'll wear out the words "I love you"

And you're beautiful

Sylvie couldn't believe this was happening to her. She always loved a flash mob, but she never got involved with one, and no one was involved in one because of her.

Now that the wait is over

And love has finally shown her my way

Marry me

Today and every day

Marry me

Antonio pulled her away from the group of people after they sang, but he shook his head, letting her know it wasn't over.

Sylvie looked up at him in surprise but she didn't say anything.

"I know this is fast because we just started dating not too long ago, but I'm not getting any younger." He said with a laugh. "But you have been with me through everything. You love my kids and that is simply amazing to me. Before you, I just thought being a good father, and being the best cop was enough for me. But you showed me that I deserve a second chance." He shook his head, knowing he could go on forever. "I guess all I'm trying to say is, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So Sylvie Brett" he began as he took out the ring box from his pocket and he bent down. "Will you marry me?"

She looked over at the people staring at them. And then she turned her attention back to Antonio. "I don't think I can disappoint these people that just sang to me, can I?" She teased as tears were streaming down her face. She nodded her head. "Yes, of course, I will marry you!"

Antonio grinned as he took the ring out of the box and he placed it on her finger. He stood up, hugging her tightly, lifting her from the ice.

The people around them started clapping as Antonio placed her back on the ground. He smiled softly at her.

"How did you do all this?" She questioned.

Antonio shrugged his shoulders. "When you protect their streets, and at times them, people are willing to do anything for you." He explained. That was why he stayed a good, honest cop. You do good for their neighborhoods, when you need a favor, they are willing to cooperate, as long as it isn't stitching.

Before she could respond, someone came on the loud speaker, and Sylvie figured it was the person that helped Antonio. He was connected in ways she didn't even know.

"Give another hand to Antonio Dawson and his new fiancé Sylvie Brett!" He said, and the people around them started clapping again. Sylvie hated being the center of attention, but right now she didn't mind it. "This is what the holiday season is all about, happiness and joy. To help celebrate their new engagement, please everyone get off the ice so they can skate to their song again."

Sylvie smiled, loving that now they had a song. And it was the most perfect song again. She knew it was impossible to slow dance on ice, but even just having the rink for themselves just for themselves was amazing.

—

Later that night, Sylvie was laying in bed with Antonio as she looked down at the ring on her finger. "I can't believe I'm engaged to Antonio Dawson." She said, with a huge smile on her face. She couldn't remember the last time she was this happy.

Antonio laughed as he leaned down, kissing her forehead. "We'll celebrate for sure after the holidays." He promised.

But Sylvie was curious about one thing. "Did you pick that song or did they?" She questioned.

"I did." He admitted. "Did you not like the song?"

"No no, I loved it." She reassured him. "I loved everything about the proposal." She then smirked. "I always knew you were romantic." She never thought she would be proposed in that way, or hell in any romantic way, so this was all special for her.

Antonio laughed, shaking his head. "I'm not. You just deserve for me to at least make an effort."

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "So, tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Are we not allowed to see the kids until Christmas night?" She questioned.

Antonio couldn't help but let out a smile when she said 'we'. That was how it was going to be from now on, 'we'. "Um, I mean, I think it's up to them. She just wants them for Christmas so she can show off that she's a good single parent, raising two teenagers by herself. Which isn't true. I pay a lot of child support, and half the time I know more about the kids and she doesn't, but yet they live with her."

Sylvie knew how upset he got whenever he talked about Laura. She nodded her head. "Hey, the good thing is that your kids are happy and safe, right?" She watched as he nodded his head. "But if you can, I just want them here for Christmas Eve. It won't feel the same without them. We can drop them off around 8 or 9." She suggested.

Antonio smiled and he nodded his head. "Okay. I'm sure that will be fine. The kids love you, so they will want to come."

Sylvie smiled as she leaned against Antonio and she nodded her head. "I love them too."

—–

The next day, Sylvie woke up in a happy mood. How could she not be happy? For one, it was Christmas Eve, and two, she realized her being engaged to Antonio wasn't a dream and it was in fact reality.

Sylvie walked out of the room and she headed into the living room. She smiled as she looked at Antonio. "Hey, good morning." She said as she walked over to him and sat down next to him.

"Hey baby." He said as he leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I'm picking up the kids soon." He said as he placed the newspaper in his hands down on the table.

Sylvie smiled as she clapped her hands happily. "Yes. I'm so happy."

"You seem more happy about the kids coming than when I proposed to you." He said, jokingly.

"Hey, I said yes, didn't I? So, it all worked out in the end. Besides, I'm just excited to give them their gift."

"You're giving it to them tonight?" He questioned. "But tomorrow is Christmas." He pointed out in an obvious tone.

"I know that. But tomorrow everyone will be here. And I want it to just be us. I worked really hard on it."

"So, what is it then?" He asked, curious.

"Not telling you. You didn't tell me about my gift." She smirked at him.

"Well, that's because it would have been ruined if I told you. And anyway, that isn't your only gift from me."

Once he said that, she moved closer to him, excitedly. "Ooh, more gifts? You're spoiling me, Detective Dawson."

"I'm not telling you." He said before she got any ideas. He stood up as he walked over and he took out his jacket out of the closet.

"So, about our engagement. Should we tell the kids before we tell everyone else?" She questioned, not knowing if she should hide the ring for a day or so.

"Look, as much as I love my kids, they can't keep a secret. So I think it's best if we don't tell them yet. We can tell everyone together. Tomorrow night."

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. She stood up and she walked over to him. "Want me to go with you? I am hungry, but I don't feel like cooking since I'll be in that kitchen all day tomorrow cooking that big dinner."

"Your fault for that. I told you not to have it." He pointed out. "But yes, we can go out to eat. Just go get dressed." He said as he looked down at her, she was just wearing shorts and a tank top.

"Yeah, I'll be freezing if I go out in this." She laughed as she leaned forward and she kissed his lips. "You're the best."

As she was heading towards their bedroom, he called her name. "Sylvie." As she turned around, his expression turned serious. "It could be hot out and you still wouldn't go outside dressed like that. I'm off-duty, I don't feel like having to fight guys." He smirked.

She laughed, shaking her head. Truthfully, she wouldn't go outside like this. She only brought this to wear to bed. She walked to their bedroom, smiling, loving how protective he was of her.

—

A few hours later they all walked inside the apartment. After they picked up the kids, they went out to breakfast, and Sylvie was blissfully happy. Of course she felt empty without her ring on her finger already, but soon the ring would be back on her finger and she will never take it off again.

The kids looked around the apartment, shaking their heads. "It's like the north pole in here, just with decorations instead of toys." Eva said laughing.

Antonio laughed as he turned his attention to Sylvie. "She went a little crazy."

They were more amused than anything because their dad wasn't a big fan of Christmas and to see his apartment this decorative, it was amusing to them. They could tell their dad was in love with Sylvie.

Sylvie's face broke out in a sheepish grin. "Yeah…well. It makes the apartment look more Christmassy!"

They both agreed with her as they took off their coats and hung it up in the closet.

"So, I made cookies." Sylvie said with a smile. "And I can make more so we can decorate. But we can do that later." She suggested, since they all did just eat. "So maybe now we can watch Christmas movies?" She wanted to spend time with the kids and hoped they did too.

Her face broke out in a huge smile when they agreed. "We did come here for you after all." Diego said.

"Hey, what about me?" Antonio feigned hurt.

"Come on, Dad." Eva said, rolling her eyes. "Usually you're working on Christmas Eve so we don't spend time together. Only on Christmas. So, we know Sylvie is the reason we're here."

"Actually." Antonio said, looking over at Sylvie. "Sylvie is the reason why Christmas this year is going to be great." Antonio smiled and then he shook his head. "Let's watch a few movies."

They all walked over to the couch and Sylvie sat next to Antonio as they kids sat on the other couch.

Antonio picked up the remote and turned on the TV. He started flipping on the channels when they agreed on 'Elf'. Honestly, Antonio didn't care about what they were watching, he was just content in being here with his family.

He could say that he considered Sylvie to be a part of their family now since they were engaged, but truthfully, since they both expressed their love for each other, he considered her a part of the family.

After they were done watching Elf, they put on Jack Frost. Sylvie was laying on Antonio as his arm was wrapped around her. It was killing him that he couldn't tell the kids their big secret, but he knew the wait would be worth it.

Sylvie was excited and anxious to give the kids their gifts. So, when the last movie was over, she jumped off of Antonio and ran into the bedroom.

The kids looked over at Antonio with a weird look on their face. "What was that?" Eva asked.

"Sylvie wants to give you the gifts she brought you guys." Antonio said, shrugging his shoulders.

At his words, the kids grew excited. "We didn't even think Sylvie was going to get us anything!" Eva said, happily.

"But Christmas is tomorrow." Diego pointed out. Like father, like son.

"I know that. And she knows that. But we won't see you guys until late, so she can't wait. Or well—she rather not wait." Antonio said as he turned off the TV and sat up on the couch.

Sylvie came out of the bedroom a few minutes later with 2 bags. She walked over to the couch and she handed the bags to the kids.

At first they thought it was only one gift, which they would have been happy about. But it looked like Sylvie went a little overboard with them.

Eva opened the bag and she took out a box. Of course it was wrapped up. "I wrapped your gifts first." She explained. She had a lot more to wrapped up, but the kids in her eyes, were her important gifts.

She smiled as she ripped open the wrapping paper and noticed it was a mini printer for smart phones.

"I know you aren't into much photographs. But I figured if you are like me with my phone, you are always taking pictures so now you can print them out." Sylvie explained with a smile.

"I love it. Thank you." Eva said with a huge smile on her face. And she wasn't lying either. Whenever she spent the night here, she was always sneaking taking pictures of Sylvie and her dad. So, she knew what she was doing when she got home later.

The next gift she took out was a smaller box, and she could tell it was a piece of jewelry. She ripped open the paper and she opened the box, eagerly. As she opened the box, she saw a necklace with an open heart. She looked at Sylvie with a puzzled looked. She loved it, but she didn't know what it meant.

"I know you have been going through a lot with your mom, even before I came in the picture. So, this necklace just means thank you for opening your heart to me and loving me. I am never going to try to take your mom place, you already have a mom. But I do love you with all my heart and I'm blessed that you haven't made my life a nightmare that most teenagers do when their dad starts dating again." Sylvie said with a laugh.

Eva looked down at the necklace and she smiled widely. "This is the best gift I ever gotten. I swear it is."

Sylvie moved over close to her to put the necklace around her neck. "It's perfect." Eva gushed.

The last two gifts that Eva took out of the bag and ripped open was makeup, and a bath and body works set. After she was done with her gifts, she leaned over and gave Sylvie a hug.

Antonio was just watching the scene with a smile on his face, even more tempted to tell about their engagement. But he held back.

"Don't worry, I didn't get you any jewelry or anything like that." Sylvie said, reassuring Diego.

Diego took out a big box and looked at Sylvie. "This is a gift from me and your dad."

Diego ripped open the paper and saw that it was a PS4. "Wow, you guys." Diego said, smiling. Sylvie was stuck for days over what to get Diego, when Antonio mentioned this to her and offered to pay half with her.

"And the rest of the bag is just games we thought you might like." She said with a smile on her face.

Diego stood up and then gave her a hug and then hugged his dad. It was safe to say the kids loved her gifts.

Diego mentioned about keeping the game system here, Antonio was surprised and told him whatever he wanted to do. In the end, he just kept the game system here, but Sylvie had a feeling soon he would be taking it back to his house.

Since the kids got busy with their gifts, Sylvie just brought the cookies in their rooms and then left them alone. They had to go home pretty soon, even though she wished they didn't.

She walked into the living room area and she walked over, sitting down next to Antonio. "I am exhausted." She said.

"The kids will go home soon, and then we can wrap the rest of the gifts and head to bed."

Sylvie smiled, shaking her head. "It's fine. I love the kids being here." She said.

A few hours later, they walked back inside the apartment, and Sylvie headed into the bedroom. She was missing her ring terribly. Antonio teased her about it on the ride home, but she didn't care. Once she placed the ring back on her finger, she smiled.

She walked back in the living room and she walked over, turning on the radio and putting on Christmas music.

Antonio groaned. "Sylvie, seriously?"

Sylvie smirked. "Yes, seriously. Now go help me grab the gifts and let's start wrapping!"

Once the gifts were in the living room, Antonio shook his head. "Thank god we don't have kids."

Sylvie looked at him at his comment, but she said nothing. They were wrapping gifts, just talking about normal things.

Sylvie took out the bags with ribbons and placed one on Antonio's cheek. "My gift." She said, teasing him.

"I may be, but sorry this isn't staying on me." He said, laughing. He took it off his face and placed it on a gift. He looked at all the gifts she brought. "You must be broke."

"I'm doing okay. I saved a lot of money the last few years not celebrating Christmas." She laughed.

After a few hours, it was late and they had to get up in the morning so they could start preparing dinner.

"Thank you." Sylvie said as she put on her pajamas and climbed into bed with her fiancé.

"For what?" He asked as he pulled her in his arms.

"For being patient throughout this whole holiday season. I know it hasn't been easy, but you stuck it out and we're almost there." She smiled as she rested her head on his chest.

"Almost there." He repeated. "And then our lives will go back to normal."

She agreed with a laugh as she closed her eyes, falling asleep.

—–

As soon as the sun shine on her face, she jumped out of sleep and she smiled brightly. It was Christmas. She looked over at Antonio sleeping peacefully and she wanted to leave him alone. But it was Christmas, she was way too hyper to do that.

She jumped on top of him, scaring the hell out of him. "Sylvie! What the hell?" He groaned. "I take my proposal back, this won't work." He said teasing her.

Sylvie laughed, shaking her head. "No way! This ring is mine. You're stuck with me forever, Antonio Dawson." She smirked. "But it's Christmas! Come on, get up, let's open gifts!"

He moved his hands on his eyes and rubbed his eyes gently, waking himself up. He looked over at the clock. "It's 8:00 am on SUNDAY, Sylvie! On my day off!" He complained.

"But—-Christmas." She pouted.

Antonio groaned, knowing that he could never resist giving her what she wanted with that face.

"Come on, let's get this day over with." He said as he stood up from the bed. "I feel like I have kids all over again. But at least they're kids, they think Santa is real."

Sylvie stood up from the bed but she froze when he mentioned about kids again. She bit down on her lip but then she shook her head away from the thoughts.

"Hey, it's never been proven he isn't real." She said in a serious tone. "I mean, obviously the whole gifts part is made up." She said quickly after she saw the way he looked at her. "Anyway, come on. I'm anxious for you to open my gifts."

Antonio shook his head, but then his face broke out in a smile. He headed out of the bedroom and then he walked in the bathroom.

Sylvie smiled as she took out his gifts and then a small bag. She bit down on her bottom lip, nervously. She walked out of the bedroom and headed into the living room area.

A few minutes later, he walked out of the bathroom and he smiled at her. He didn't trust her so he hid her gifts in Eva's room. Once he retrieved her gifts, he walked out of the room and back in the living room area.

"No trust in your fiancé." Sylvie scoffed.

"I like the sound of that. My fiancé." He said with a smile. "And I would rather be safe than sorry."

He sat down on the couch, knowing she was more anxious that he opened her gifts for him first.

"This one first." She said, handing him a small bag.

He nodded his head as he opened the bag and took out a rectangle box. He ripped opened the paper and then he opened the box. He looked at the item in the box and then he looked up at her. "Wh–what?" He stammered out.

"Okay, I know this looks wrong because at the firehouse party, I got drunk, but baby I swear to you, I didn't know. The next day I woke up feeling horrible, but I just thought I was hungover. Anyway, I don't know, women can just tell these things. So, before I got ready for the police department Christmas party, I took a pregnancy test and it came back positive. I thought at first they were all wrong, but I think after 5 of them, I have to stop being in denial and accept it."

Antonio took in everything she said, then he placed the box on the table and grabbed her hands. "First off, I know you Sylvie, and I know you wouldn't have drank anything if you thought for a second you were pregnant. And second, you knew since that night and didn't tell me?" He questioned, a looked of hurt spread across his face.

"Because once the shock wore off, I wanted to surprise you. And then after the proposal, I wanted to surprise you even more." She said, her eyes twinkling.

"We both kept secrets. But at least they were amazing secrets." He said, smiling.

"I just hope now people doesn't think you only proposed because I'm pregnant." She said, frowning.

"And if they do, so what? We know the truth." He said, calming her down. "So, we're getting married and having a baby. That's pretty huge."

Sylvie bit her lip, nervously. "Good huge, or scary huge?"

"Great, scary huge." He said, laughing. "But I'm happy, so happy."

"I am too." She said as she leaned in and pressed a kiss against his lips. A few seconds she pulled away. "Celebrating later definitely."

"Definitely." He agreed. "Let's open the rest of the presents so we don't get further behind."

Sylvie agreed as she watched as he opened the rest of his gifts. Like she told Gabby, she got him a leather jacket and a watch, but she smiled as he pulled out the photo album. "When I brought this, I wasn't pregnant. But I put in the pictures of the kids, and some of us." She said as he flipped through the pages.

"I don't remember taking this." He said as he looked at the picture of Sylvie and Antonio at Molly's. It was one of the nights they stayed out late and it was also the first time they said I love you to each other.

"Oh, um. Gabby took it of us." Sylvie explained which he just nodded to.

"I love all my gifts, thank you baby." He said as he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

After the kiss ended, he handed her a bag. "I would have gotten you more but I was preoccupied with the proposal." He explained.

"No, please baby, the proposal is something I'm going to remember for the rest of my life." She said as she opened the bag and smiled as she pulled out a box. She could tell it was jewelry.

As she ripped opened the paper, she smiled as she opened the box and saw the most beautiful necklace.

"On the beneath of it, it has our initials, and the date we started dating. Once we get married, we can add in those dates as well." He said, smiling at her.

"I love it." She said as he helped her place the necklace around her neck.

"It's perfect." He said, smiling at her. "Okay, now let's get ready for this dinner you forced me to have."

Sylvie laughed, smacking his arm playfully. "Hey, it's going to be fun, I promise."

It was around 5 PM when everyone started showing up. Gabby, Matt, and Louie were the first ones to arrive. Then Otis, Cruz, and Stella showed up, he was even surprised to see Severide.

"I decided to show up for a little while." He explained with a smile as Antonio shook his hand.

"Glad to see you made it." He said, knowing deep inside he only came for Stella. Sylvie confided in Antonio a while ago that he has been going down a spiral path when they broke up. He couldn't blame him, he would do the same if for some reason he and Sylvie broke up. Maybe he wouldn't sleep with other women, but he would still be losing his mind.

He walked over to Sylvie as she continued to cook. He wrapped his arms around her from behind as he placed a loving kiss on her neck.

Sylvie smiled as she leaned against his kiss. "What was that for?" She questioned. "Not that I mind that, but I know you aren't crazy about PDA." She added.

"Just to show you how grateful I am for you." He said as he placed another kiss on her neck. He moved his lips to her ear. "And if people don't want to see my touching my fiancé, they can leave. This is our house." He grinned at her as he pulled away. "Here, go socialize. You deserve a break."

"So do you." She threw back at him. "You helped me all month long. Besides, until we are ready to announce the news, I shouldn't be around anyone." She said, referring to the engagement.

"Sylvie, just take off the ring until then." He said in an amused tone.

"No." She frowned. "I won't be happy then. Dinner should be done soon. Hopefully the kids show up shortly." She knew she wouldn't start dinner until the kids were here first.

Before Antonio could say anything, there was a knock at the door. He knew it must be someone important because Sylvie ran in the living room. "No one answer it. We got it."

Gabby laughed, shaking her head. "Sweetie, no one was going to answer YOUR door." She pointed out.

Antonio laughed, walking into the living room. "Don't mind her, Christmas has her mind all messed up." He explained.

Sylvie turned to glared at him and he shut up. "I invited someone." Sylvie said, and the way she said it, had Antonio freaked out. She better not have invited Laura. Not when they were going to discuss announcements.

"Okay." He said, in a scared tone. "Open the door then."

Sylvie nodded her head and she opened the door and there that stood behind it was his mom. He and Gabby both broke out in smiles.

"Ma!" Antonio and Gabby both said as they rushed over to her side. He let Gabby hugged her first so they didn't tackle the poor woman. After Gabby was done hugging her, he gave her a hug.

As he pulled away from the hug, he looked over at Sylvie. "Full of surprises, aren't you?" He grinned at her.

"I just feel like we have a lot of announcements and she deserved to be here to hear them." She explained.

"But how did you reach her?"

"Mi chico, deja de hacer preguntas, Sylvie solo te quiere." She told him.

Antonio laughed and he nodded his head. "Si mamá lo se."

Sylvie shook her head, knowing she would need to get used to this. "We should discuss this before dinner. Where are the kids?" She asked, frustrated.

Everyone else went back to their mindless talking, which calmed down Sylvie same. She was about to freak out when the kids entered the apartment.

"Abuela" they said as soon as they saw Camilla. They hugged her and Sylvie groaned.

"English please!" She teased them. She didn't mind the Spanish talking, but she was adamant on Gabby teaching her some words at least.

As soon as they were done hugging Camilla, they hugged Antonio and then Sylvie.

"Come on, sit down before Sylvie starts having a breakdown." Antonio laughed, teasing his fiancé.

As soon as everyone was seated, Antonio walked over to Sylvie and placed his hand on her back for support.

"We're–" She stopped to looked at Antonio. "Engaged!" She said once she turned her attention back on everyone in their living room. For a moment, no one said anything so Sylvie held out her hand to show her ring. "It's true, guys!"

Once the shock wore off, they all stood up and started hugging Sylvie and Antonio and saying congratulations.

"Wait." Sylvie said in the midst of the celebrating. Everyone stopped to look at her. "I'm also pregnant!"

"Oh mi doble alegría doble milagro." Camilla said and Antonio leaned and whispered in Sylvie's ear. "She said, 'oh my, double joy, double miracle."

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head as she looked at Camilla. "It sure is! Now let's go eat! I'm starving."

"Like that's a surprise." Severide teased her and she gave him a glare.

As everyone sat at the table, and Antonio and Sylvie served the food, Sylvie was enjoying the talking among everyone. Everyone here, she considered to be family, and couldn't remember of having a more magical Christmas than the one she was having this year.

As they all sat down to eat, Sylvie and Antonio were smiling at each other, knowing that through it all, they would always be by each other's side.

He leaned over and he whispered in her ear. "I love you."

She smiled and she nodded her head. "I love you too."

And when they say Christmas is the most magical time of the year, it certainly was. Not only was she engaged to her soul mate, but she was carrying his baby. It was certainly a Christmas to remember for the rest of her life.


	31. Chapter 31: Worth the risks

**A/N Enjoy!**

"Hey, you coming to Molly's tonight with us?" Jay asked Antonio as they were in the locker room, getting ready to end their shift for the night.

"I'm—-not sure." He said as he thought about the one person he has avoided for the past week. His thoughts went back to that night in Molly's when he flirted with Sylvie Brett. He wasn't the type to flirt with anyone, let alone in front of his sister, but he just couldn't help himself.

"Everything okay?" Jay asked about he saw the expression on Antonio's face.

"Yeah, just tired." He lied. "But I'll see if I can make it to Molly's." He said and Jay nodded his head.

Antonio walked out of the district with Sylvie on his mind. He didn't want to hurt her, but he also couldn't afford to get hurt again.

A few hours later, he walked in Molly's and he laughed when Jay immediately saw him and clapped his hands. "So, did you go home and take a nap?" He said, referring to earlier when he said that he was tired.

Antonio laughed and he headed over to the booth they were sitting at. He shook his head. "No, otherwise I would still be sleeping. But I was bored–" he shrugged his shoulders. "So here I am."

Erin laughed. "I see how it is! Only here because you're bored." she said, jokingly.

Jay headed back to their booth as he handed Antonio a glass of bourbon. "You do realize I'm driving home, right?" Antonio said, even though he still took the glass from him. "But thanks, man."

"Out of the years I have known you, I think I have seen you drunk a maybe of two times." Jay said, laughing. "You'll be fine."

Antonio nodded his head as he took a sip of his drink. Ruzek, Halstead, Lindsay, Burgess, Atwater, Olinsky were sitting at the table and they were talking about something that Antonio wasn't even sure at. Because in that moment, he watched as Sylvie walked by the table looking beautiful as always. She wasn't wearing anything special, just some jeans with a tshirt and a jacket over it. But she still was the most beautiful woman in the bar to him.

He wasn't sure if she saw him because of the way he was in the booth and he hoped she didn't. As much as he wanted to talk to her, distance between them would be good, great even.

It was a few hours later and it was late so Antonio was about to head out the door to go home when Gabby's voice stopped him.

"Tonio!" He knew Sylvie was close to Gabby because he was watching her out of the corner of his eye all night. Thankfully no one caught him.

He headed over to his sister and he smiled at her, keeping his composure. Good thing about being a detective, he knew how to remain calm at all times. "Hey, sis." He said, smiling at her.

"You mean to tell me you were about to leave without saying goodnight to me?" She asked, feigning hurt. As he was about to say something back, someone needed a drink. "Be right back."

It was silent between them both for a few seconds before Antonio decided to break the ice because the silence was torturing him. "So, how have you been?"

Sylvie looked over at him and she shrugged her shoulders. "Oh you know, good." She said, calmly. Although inside, she was nervous as hell. All night Gabby was amused that he kept staring at Sylvie but wouldn't come over to say hi. She wanted to strangle her for coming him over here. Obviously he regretted flirting with her the last time they were here together.

Thankfully Gabby returned and she smiled at her brother. He gave her a look that told her to knock it off. "Anyway–" he began. "You looked busy and I'm exhausted. Long day." He said.

"When are you coming to stop by and visit your nephew?" She asked him. It was about to be closing time, so she was starting to clean up.

"How about tomorrow?" He asked. He was off tomorrow and right now he didn't have any plans.

"Sure, sounds like a plan." She looked back from Sylvie and Antonio and she shook her head. "But go on, go home and go to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."

He nodded his head and he smiled at her. "Love you sis." He looked over at Sylvie and he nodded his head. "Goodnight, Sylvie." He said as he headed towards the door and he walked out of Molly's. He couldn't blame anyone but himself for that awkward encounter. Well, maybe he could have blamed Gabby.

He was about to walk towards his truck when he heard someone's voice calling out to him. He turned his head and he saw Sylvie approaching him. He walked towards her, wondering what she wanted. She barely looked his way when he was talking to Gabby. "Hey." He said.

"Hey." She responded. Why did she choose to follow him? But his attitude towards her lately was confusing her. She was just going to lay everything out on the table. "Um—I have been trying to stay silent because I know your life isn't easy—but I never took you as the guy to flirt with a woman and the next day act like it never happened. Were you drunk that night?"

He could tell by her words that he was hurting her, but that wasn't what he intended to do. He shook his head. "No, Sylvie. I wasn't. I just don't think it would be a good idea right now to go down that road."

Sylvie nodded her head, she didn't agree with it, but she couldn't force him to feel things she was feeling. "Well—-okay then. I guess goodnight?" She said as she turned to walked back in the bar.

"Goodnight, magic hands." He mumbled as she walked away and he shook his head. He waited until she was safety in Molly's before he walked back to his truck and got inside.

—

The next day, he woke up around 9 AM. He had to do a few errands since he was working a lot the past few weeks. He had to pay his bills, go a little bit food shopping, and he had to clean his apartment. Although he kept his apartment fairly tidy, it wasn't a big job to do.

Around noon time, he decided to head to Gabby's so he could get out of there fast. But of course he didn't realize his sister had other plans.

—-

Gabby was complaining to Matt the whole morning about Antonio and Sylvie. "And you can see that they really like each other. It's mainly Antonio because Sylvie walked after him last night to talk to him but she came back, looking so sad. I never seen her this way over a guy before." She said as she placed pancakes on Louie's plate.

"Please don't do anything. Antonio is a big boy, he knows what he is doing, Gabby."

"So, I came up with a plan that we both are busy with something—I haven't figure it out yet—- and I call up Sylvie asking her to babysit for a few hours. And she actually does—so we get a few hours break— and then when Antonio shows up, Sylvie is here." She said, ignoring his warnings.

"But don't you think this plan isn't going to work?" Matt questioned which made the smile disappear from her face. "For one, Sylvie knows Antonio is stopping by today, right? And two, Antonio could stay for like 5 minutes and act like an emergency came up. I'm just saying, Gabby, it doesn't sound like a solid plan." He was busying cutting up Louie's pancakes so he didn't see the glared Gabby shot at him.

"If it doesn't, then I will come up with something else. So, where are you taking me today?" She asked.

"Since it's early, we can't say a dinner date because why wouldn't we take Louie with us to lunch. I can't believe I'm helping you. Just tell Sylvie I'm out on a job, and you have to go food shopping. Also tell her that Bonnie is busy or sick." He offered.

"That's good. That should work, besides she loves Louie."

"Remember, a lie is only good with the right details." He called after her as she left the kitchen.

A few hours later, Sylvie knocked on Gabby's door. Gabby should be happy that she was up early because she couldn't get Antonio out of her mind, otherwise she would have been sleeping and wouldn't have heard her calling.

Sylvie smiled as Gabby answered the door and Sylvie walked inside. She took off her coat and handed it to Gabby.

"You're a lifesaver, Gabby. Matt was originally going to watch Louie, but then he got a call for a job last minute, and we literally need food."

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "No problem. I love him so it's fine."

"Well, he's taking a nap right now. He should sleep until I come home, but if not, he loves you so he'll be fine." Gabby and Matt said their goodbyes to Sylvie and they left the apartment.

Sylvie was watching TV on the couch when she heard a knock on the door. Only an hour passed, so she knew it wasn't Gabby. Besides, why would she knock on her own door? She stood up and she walked over to the door, answering it. She stood there frozen when she saw it was Antonio.

"What, did you sleep here last night?" He questioned, giving her a smile.

Damn, why did he have to smile at her? Now her insides were dancing. No, not good. She focused on his question and she shook her head. "No. Gabby needed someone to watch Louie." She explained as she walked back inside.

Antonio followed after her, he closed the door behind him and then he walked after her. "That's weird. She didn't say anything to me about it." He looked around the apartment. "Where is Louie?"

"Taking a nap." She said as she walked over to the couch and she sat down.

"Well—I guess I'll go then." He said, not wanting to go, but being here alone with her was dangerous.

"Okay. I'll tell Gabby you stopped by." She replied.

He was heading towards the door when he stopped. "It isn't that I don't like you." He said as he turned to face her. "My life is just a mess. And to be honest, I haven't liked a woman since my divorce."

"And I haven't liked a guy like this since my ex-fiancé walked out on me."

"But you were with Cruz." He said walking closer to her.

"I know, and don't get me wrong, I did like Cruz. But not like this." She confessed.

He shook his head, it was better if they didn't talk like this. "I think it's best if I leave." He said in a low voice.

"Then leave." She challenged. She stood up from the couch and walked over to him. "But before you do, let me ask you something. You're a cop, you see people die every day, you know how precious life is. Do you want to keep pushing me away just because you think this is a bad idea?"

"I–I" She was standing too close to him. All he could focus on was her lips. Without wasting another second, he walked even closer to her, pulling her to his chest. His lips crashed against hers in an urgent kiss.

Their first kiss was anything but gentle. He moved his hands on her face, deepening the kiss if that was at all possible. After a few seconds, she pulled away from the kiss, needing air.

"Whoa." She said breathlessly.

He nodded his head, agreeing with her.

"I have to—uh–I have to go." He said as he gave her one last look before he walked out of Gabby's apartment and headed for his truck.

At this moment, he didn't realize he had a wall up when it came to his heart. He could have used the excuse that his life was a mess with his ex-wife, with his kids, with his job, but he was mainly scared of giving Sylvie his heart and she hurts him again. He couldn't risk it. Distance was what they needed.

—

Antonio hasn't been at Molly's for over a week, he kept making up excuses on why he wasn't going. The only excuse he found that actually worked was saying he had the kids.

All that his mind kept replaying was the kiss that he and Sylvie shared. He could deny it all he wanted, but the kiss proved there was something between them. He just wasn't ready to face that yet.

Antonio finished the dishes and he was just sitting down enjoying a cold beer when he heard a knock on his door. Hopefully it wasn't Gabby, she was pretty mad at him for leaving her apartment that day. He questioned why, and she made the excuse because he never saw Louie. He realized she was the one that set them up and was upset her plan failed.

Antonio placed his beer on the table and he stood up, walking over to his door. He opened the door and was surprised to see Sylvie standing there. "H—Hey." He stammered out.

Sylvie smiled slightly, she felt weird coming here without asking but if there was one thing Sylvie learned over the last few years in Chicago, she had to fight for what she wanted, and she wanted Antonio Dawson. "Hey. Can I come in?" She questioned, hoping he was alone.

"Of course. Come in." He said, moving to the side, letting her walk inside. After she was inside, he closed the door behind her and he looked at her.

Without wasting time, she started explaining why she was here. "I have this belief that if there is something you want, you have to fight like hell for it." She looked at his face to see his reaction. "And I want you. I think there could be something between us, something really good."

Antonio took a deep breath as he walked over to the couch. He sat down as he tried to think of the right words to say. "When Laura left with the kids, it killed me. I tried to forget about those feelings with work. I was working crazy hours because I felt alone. I guess I haven't realized how much I allow myself to close off from the world. I feel like if Laura could leave, what is going to make the next person stay?" He confessed. This was the first time he ever talked about his divorce. But it was needed right now to make Sylvie understand what he was feeling.

"I know I was never married, and I don't have any kids. Harrison and I don't have the type of history that you and Laura had, however, heart breaks are all the same. It's the reason why I moved to Chicago in the first place. I busied myself with my job so I didn't have to think about it." She walked over to him and she sat down next to him. "There is nothing wrong with wanting to protect yourself from heartbreak again. In your case, it makes sense. You have kids involved. But I feel like if you find the right person, isn't it worth the risk of getting hurt again?"

Antonio turned his head to the side to looked at her. He understood what she was saying, but it still was harder than he realized, to let someone else in. "I think we just need time—away from each other."

"No, Antonio. No." She said, shaking her head. If she thought she was forcing him to feel things he didn't feel, she wouldn't have came. She felt everything he wasn't saying in the kiss they shared and she wasn't walking out of here tonight until he admitted it. Until he gave them a chance they deserved. "I'm not leaving."

Antonio gave her a smile as he shook his head. "You're cute when you get bossy." He said, flirting with her.

"Only cute? Darn, I was helping you would say beautiful or hot—not cute" She said, flirting back.

"But you are beautiful." He said, moving closer to her. He moved his hand over and he started unzipping her coat, an indication that he wanted her to stay here for a while. "Hot….sexy." He pushed her coat off her shoulders and he smiled at her. But then his expression turned serious. "I just don't want us to hurt each other."

"Hey." She said, placing her hand on his arm. "Do you feel like we're worth it?" She questioned.

"More than anything." He confessed. He moved his face towards her lips. "I haven't stopped thinking of our kiss at Gabby's." He said in a low tone. Without another word, he crashed his lips against hers, moving his hands under her shirt.

They both understood it would still take a while for him to fully let his guards down, but Sylvie proved by coming here tonight that she was going to fight for them, fight for him. And in return, Antonio was going to fight for Sylvie, because she was worth it.


	32. Chapter 32: Through the bad times

**A/N Enjoy!**

Antonio had a long day at work, they were working on a case that dealt with kids, and he hated those types of cases. He hated it mainly because since he was a father, it hit him harder.

It also stressed him out because he felt like Chicago wasn't getting any better, only worst. But thankfully when it comes to kids, a lot of people were willing to help, and if not, Antonio didn't rest until he had some facts and they shut the case pretty fast.

Although Sylvie was off tonight, he didn't call her yet, he was planning on calling her when he got home, but right now he just wanted to know why this was still happening. He felt like as more people got locked up, the crime rate should have went down, however, that wasn't the case. But sadly, Antonio was only a detective, he wasn't god, he couldn't change things that were out of his control.

He unlocked the door to his apartment and he walked inside. As soon as he walked inside, he could smell something good. He smiled to himself as he closed the door and locked it.

He took off his coat and he hung in the closet. He walked in the kitchen and he smiled seeing Sylvie cooking. He shook his head. "You know, I had a rough day, but seeing you, is making it better." He said as he walked over to him and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"That's why I'm here." She said with a smile.

"Wait—who told you?" He asked confused. He didn't talk to her all day and he knew Gabby couldn't tell her because he also didn't talk to his sister at all today.

"I was visiting a patient at Med when I bumped into Maggie, said that you were dealing with a bad case." She explained and he nodded his head. One of the guys that were guilty of the young girl's death tried to run from them, and ended up getting hit by a car. Antonio would have rather him died but of course that didn't happen, so he went by the hospital to ask questions.

"So, you decided to come here and cook me dinner?" He asked with a hint of a smile. Why he doubted this relationship in the beginning was beyond him.

"Of course. And I have a surprise for you later."

He leaned forward and he kissed her neck lovingly. He pulled away after a few seconds and he smiled at her. "Oh yeah? What is it?" He questioned as he walked over to the refrigerator and he opened the door. He took out a bottle of water as he walked over to the table and sat down.

"You'll find out soon enough." She promised her boyfriend. She turned her head to looked at him. "Are you okay, though? Talk to me." She urged him as she turned her attention back to their dinner.

Antonio shrugged his shoulders as he opened the cap and he took a sip from the water. "I'm okay." He promised. "Sometimes I question why I chose this. I mean, I love being a detective. I do. But it does get to me."

Sylvie heard the tone in his voice and knew right now he needed her to focus her attention fully on him, so she turned off the stove and she walked over to him. "Hey, you're the best detective I know and I'm not just saying that because you're my boyfriend. If my life was on the line, I would only feel safe if you were on the case. It's normal to feel this way, especially with the day you had. But you caught the killers, isn't that what matters?" She said in a soft tone.

Antonio looked at her and he nodded his head. He reached out and he grabbed her hand, pulling her in his lap. "Yes, I suppose. I guess everyone that deals with helping people always questions how is it fair that little kids get hurt. I guess being a father makes all this harder." He confessed.

"I know baby." She raised her hand and she stroked his cheek. "Life isn't unfair and I think we all know that from the beginning of our job. I think all you can do is deal with the cases with a clear mind and be the best detective you can be." She leaned forward and she gave him a kiss.

An hour later they were finished with dinner and the dishes were clean and put away.

"So—that surprise." Antonio said with a smile.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." She said teasingly. "Come on." She told him as she walked in the bedroom and he followed her.

"This should be good." He smiled as he watched her pick up a bag from the door.

"I'll be back. And I promise I will make you forget all about today." She smiled at him before she walked out of the bedroom and walked into the bathroom.

Antonio smiled as he took off his shoes and he took his phone out of his pocket. He called his kids earlier to check on them so he knew they were okay. He turned off his phone and he placed it on the end table.

A few minutes later, Sylvie walked back in the bedroom and she cleared her throat gaining his attention.

Antonio turned his head and his breath caught in his throat. She was wearing a white baby doll lingerie, and he was happy this time he didn't have a beer in his hand.

"Whoa." He finally managed to choke out. "You look amazing baby."

"Then come here." She said seductively.

Like he needed to be told twice. He immediately walked over to her, crashing his lips against hers in a passionate kiss.

He walked her backwards towards the bed and he pulled away from the kiss, needing air. "This is actually what I needed—-thank you baby."

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "Anything to make you feel better."

He nodded his head as he leaned forward and he started kissing her neck. Tonight she was proving to him that she would always be there for him, through all the bad times—–the bad cases, the bad days—-and the good times.


	33. Chapter 33: Prince Charming

**A/N Enjoy!**

Sylvie and Gabby were getting ready for their shift when the alarm went off.

"And so it begins." Gabby said as she slammed her locker shut and Sylvie followed suit.

It wasn't a good start of the day when the alarm went off so early, however, at least that would mean their shift would go by fast, as long as no one died.

Sylvie rushed over to the passenger side of the ambo and she got inside. She smiled as she looked over at Gabby. "Let's hope this shift flies by." Tomorrow night it was girls night out and Sylvie couldn't wait to hang out with her girls.

Gabby smiled and she nodded her head, agreeing with Sylvie.

A few minutes later, they pulled along side of the scene and she noticed cops were already at the scene. This wasn't going to be an easy call, she could already tell.

"Hey, look, Antonio is here. Make sure he doesn't distract you." Gabby said, teasingly. Gabby knew Sylvie was professional, she couldn't get distracted, even if Antonio had a shirt off, she would keep her eyes on the patient. It was one of her favorite things about Sylvie being her partner.

Sylvie laughed, shaking her head as she got out of the ambo and she rushed to the back to grab the things they needed.

Although the cops were here, it was just a simple stab wound, which to them, was easy. Sylvie and Gabby walked over to the guy and Sylvie crouched down.

"Hey. We're Dawson and Brett and we're going to make you feel better, okay?" She said as she tried to get the young man to calm down.

Sylvie and Gabby were patching up the guy when he said he didn't want to go to the hospital.

"It's best if you go, sir. You need some stitches and some medicine to make sure it won't get infected." Gabby said, trying to change the guy's mind, but they both knew they couldn't force anyone to go to the hospital when they refused.

"He said he doesn't want to go, bitch!" Some guy on the side said, which Sylvie figured would be the young man's friend.

"Dawson, let's just make him some sign papers." Sylvie was trying to diffused the situation. "We can't force him to go."

Sylvie could see from the corner of her eyes that Antonio was busy with other things to really notice them and she sighed. She didn't have a good feeling about this.

As they were patching up the guy, his friend was walking over to them and Gabby was getting annoyed by this.

"Hey, could you give us some room?!" She snapped at him. Sylvie just shook her head but continued doing what she needed to help the young man.

"Mind your business, bitch! Just focus on your job." He then turned his attention on Sylvie and she was trying to ignore it.

"You know, I like you. You mind your business and do your job. How about you give me your number?"

Sylvie rolled her eyes internally. "Sorry, I have a boyfriend." She said, annoyed by all this. Obviously somehow he was involved with this mess, that's why he didn't want his friend to go to the hospital.

"Sure." He said, moving closer to her. "I bet I can make you feel things your boyfriend doesn't."

"Step away from her." Sylvie smiled when she heard Antonio's voice. She didn't even think he was paying attention to anything that was going on, but she should have known.

The guy was signing the piece of paper and Sylvie stood up.

"Detective, this has nothing to do with you." The man snapped at him.

"It does when you're hitting on my girlfriend." Antonio said back to him.

Those were the first time Antonio said those words out loud and it made Sylvie's heart melt.

"Well—you know" he said as he looked at Sylvie which made her uncomfortable. "I think—" he said as he reached over and touched her arm. "Me and her could have a good time together."

With the day Antonio was having already, and barely spending time with Sylvie because of jerks like him, he lost it. "Get your hands off of her." He warned.

Antonio walked closer to the guy, daring him to make another move, but in his eyes keeping his hand on Sylvie's arm was a move in itself. Sylvie's eyes was glued to Antonio, knowing he possibly wouldn't kick his ass—-would he? She never had anyone get this angry over someone for her.

Before the guy knew what was going on, Antonio punched the guy in the face. The guy immediately went down, and Sylvie sighed a breath of relief when his hand was off her arm. She was too afraid to move it herself, and was thanking god Antonio was there to protect her.

She thought once he punched the guy, he would just leave him alone, but not with the way Antonio was feeling right now. Although Sylvie was against violence, the sight of Antonio beating this guy up for her was well—-hot. He was more sexy in this moment than he ever was—if that was possible because Antonio was always sexy to her.

Antonio was punching on the guy, almost forgetting that he was a detective and this was against the law, but he didn't care. The guy could hurt him all he wanted but no one—no one— was allowed to put their hands on Sylvie and get away with it. A few minutes later, Jay pulled Antonio off of the guy.

Sylvie was just staying there, biting down on her bottom lip, turned on more than she ever was in her life. Great, she had an entire shift to get through.

Immediately when the incident was over with, Antonio thought Sylvie was going to stand there with an anger look on her face. Laura used to hate how violent Antonio could get. Although he was a cop, he had a temper, but this was the first time he went after a guy on duty that had nothing to do with a case.

Antonio walked over to Sylvie, apologizing. "I'm sorry baby. Damn, I shouldn't have let him get to me." Once he stopped apologizing and saw the look on her face, he smirked. He saw that look before. It was the same look she had on her face whenever she wanted him. "What?" He questioned.

He looked over and noticed that no one was paying attention to him and Gabby was packing up the things, allowing them to talk. And at this moment, he thanked god for that.

Sylvie shook her head, a smile forming on her lips. "Why did you do that? You know I would never give that guy a chance."

Antonio shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant manner. " Doesn't matter. No one says that about my girl."

Sylvie smiled and she leaned up, giving him a kiss. She didn't care that he wasn't big on PDA, what he did deserved a kiss. She pulled away after a few seconds. "So, I'm thinking–" she whispered so no one could hear her. "After shift, I come to your place and who knows what I'll be wearing underneath my coat." She said teasingly.

Antonio raised his eyebrows and he nodded his head. "Oh, you're on." He leaned in again and gave her a kiss, but this time he let the kiss lingered for a few more minutes.

Knowing Gabby wanted to head back to the station, she pulled away from the kiss and grabbed his hands. She observed his hands and she shook her head. "Put some ice on your knuckles. I'll see you after shift."

"Hey." He called out after her. "I love you beautiful."

Although this wasn't the first time they said it, this was the first time they said it in public. She smiled widely, loving that she got to see him even just for a little while.

"I love you too, prince charming." They both laughed and she got inside the ambulance.


	34. Chapter 34: Las Vegas Wedding

**A/N Part 1 of a story :) Enjoy! I really love this story.**

Sylvie was at her apartment packing up for her trip with Antonio. Her first trip with a guy ever. As long as her and Harrison were together, they never a trip together. But with that excitement came nerves because this was her first trip with a guy ever.

They were going to Las Vegas and all she could think about was the last person that went to Las Vegas was Kelly and he came home married, she laughed at the thought of that happening to her and Antonio. It was a silly thought and one that she pushed to the side.

A few hours later she heard a knock at her door and knew it was Antonio. He text her about 20 minutes ago saying he was on his way. Thankfully she was all done with her packing and was all ready to leave.

She walked over to her door and she answered it. "Hey." Her face broke out in a huge smile.

"Hey baby." He smiled softly at her. "Ready to go?"

Sylvie nodded her head as she looked over at her suitcases. "I think." She said with a laugh. She walked over to her suitcases and picked them up.

"I got it." He said as he walked inside her apartment and walked over to her, taking the suitcases from her.

"Best boyfriend ever." She beamed at him. And she wasn't just talking about him carrying her things for her, but because he managed to take a weekend off from work.

"I try." He smiled at her. "Let's go, we don't want to be late."

She nodded her head and she picked up her purse, walking to the door with him. As soon as he walked out the door, she followed after him and then closed the door, locking it.

"Our first trip together!" She exclaimed excitedly.

Antonio laughed as he shook his head. He walked over to his truck and he placed her suitcases in the trunk. "You do realize it's only three days we're gone for? Why do you need two suitcases?"

"I just do, okay?" She rolled her eyes. "For someone who has an ex-wife, I thought you would know this."

She walked over to the passenger side and she got inside. As soon as she buckled her seat belt, he got inside doing the same. Sylvie looked over at him and she smiled. "This would be such a fun drive. So, next time let's try to get more time off from work." She felt blessed that she was with someone that loved their job just as much as she did.

"I'm not driving all the way from Chicago to Las Vegas. Too much time wasted." He said as he pulled away from her apartment building. "It wouldn't be too bad if we were stopping in between places but no, we're not."

Sylvie laughed at Antonio's reaction and she nodded her head. She was just happy to be with Antonio even just for three days. The whole time they could just be in Antonio's apartment and she wouldn't mind.

—-

A few hours later, the plane landed and they headed towards the car Antonio rented. As soon as he placed their suitcases in the trunk, he got in the driver's side. She looked over at Antonio and she smirked. "Feels kind of weird seeing you drive a car instead of your truck."

Antonio laughed and he drove away towards their hotel. "Hey, I used to drive a car before."

Sylvie laughed and she nodded her head. She reached over and grabbed his hand. "I have a feeling that we're going to have a good weekend together."

Antonio turned his head to look at her and he smiled softly at her. "Of course we are." He turned his head back to the road as he drove towards their hotel.

It was dark out by the time they made it off the plane, but Sylvie was happy for that because as they were driving, it made the city look even more beautiful. 20 minutes later, the car stopped and Sylvie looked at the hotel that she assumed were theirs. She left all the arrangements to Antonio so she had no clue what Hotel he picked.

As she looked up, she saw the hotel name: Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. But honestly that was the last thing she looked at because the hotel was breathtaking beautiful. "This must have cost you a fortune." She observed.

Antonio turned off the car, taking the key out of the ignition. He shook his head. "Not really. It's only for a weekend so it wasn't that bad. Come on." He said, urging her to get out of the car.

Once they got out of the car, he walked over to her and he took her hand. "We'll come back out for our things once we get the keys to our room."

If Sylvie didn't feel blessed being with Antonio, she sure did now. It wasn't even about him buying expensive hotel rooms, or anything like that. But it was about him acting like it was no big deal, maybe it was no big deal to him. She realized she wasn't used to this because Harrison was anything but a real man—but Antonio was everyone's definition of a real man.

She nodded her head as they walked in the hotel. Sylvie looked around and she smiled softly. It was beautiful here. There was no way in hell her and Antonio could have a bad experience here and she was grateful for that. You have a bad experience at the first hotel you go to as a couple, you get scared of going anywhere else.

Antonio walked up to the desk, letting go of her hand. But she was so mesmerized by how beautiful it was, she didn't notice. It wasn't anything she heard Antonio calling her name that she broke out of her thoughts.

"Sorry." She laughed.

"It's okay." He said, smiling at her. "I know you want to do something tonight but seeing as it is already late, you want to go grab something to eat, then head back here to unpack, and then we can just watch movies or something?"

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "Sounds good because I'm starving."

After they had dinner, they headed back to the hotel room. Before they left, they brought their suitcases up to their room, but didn't unpack yet. Sylvie didn't realize how tired she was until she walked in their room and looked at the bed.

"I'm exhausted." She said, yawning.

"Let's unpack and then we can lay in bed, okay?" He suggested and she nodded her head.

"This room is so nice." She complimented as she walked over to pick up her suitcases and started unpacking. "Were you ever here before?" She asked, out of curiously.

Antonio started unpacking his suitcase and he shook his head. "No. I mean, I have been to Las Vegas but not this hotel. It looked nice while I was checking it out online."

She smiled and she nodded her head. "So, what's the plan for tomorrow?" She asked, knowing he would already know.

"I was thinking during the day, we can do the Grand Adventures Tour. We'll be there all day and then afterwards we can watch the sunset?" He suggested, not wanting to force her to do anything she didn't want to do.

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "Sounds perfect."

"And then we can head to dinner and afterwards, we can do what everyone does in Las Vegas and gamble and of course drink also."

"I didn't peg you for the gambling type." She teased.

"Oh, I'm not, not at all. Doesn't mean we can't gamble for an hour at least." He said as he finished putting away his clothes.

"Sounds good." She smiled. He was really making sure their time here was perfect, she just hoped his plans wouldn't get ruined.

—-

The next morning, Antonio woke up early. He smiled as he looked down at Sylvie sleeping in his arms. It was nice to be away from Chicago and the drama it consumed even just for a few days. Realizing their plans for the day, he knew he had to wake up Sylvie.

He leaned down and he kissed her head. When he noticed that wasn't working, he started to gently shake her awake. "Baby, wake up."

She groaned, shaking her head. "Tired. So tired."

"Do you just want to skip the tour then?" He asked softly.

Sylvie shook her head, she knew how much trouble Antonio went through for her, and she didn't want to skip it just because she was tired. "No." She raised her head from his chest and she smiled. "I'm excited for this."

Antonio laughed and he nodded his head. "Good because I couldn't get a refund anyway."

Sylvie picked up a pillow and threw it at him. "Then why suggest it?"

The pillow almost hit him in the face but he was able to block it with his hand. "Because you're tired." He said simply.

"And we didn't even sex last night. That plane ride just made me tired." She said as she walked in the bathroom and she closed the door.

An hour later, they were both dressed and they headed out of the hotel.

"Tomorrow can we just stay in the hotel and sleep?" Sylvie asked.

Antonio laughed and he nodded his head. "Whatever you want."

The day went by fast in their eyes because Las Vegas was such a great place to tour and it was even better to see things with the man that she loved. They were in a minibus as their driver explained about the historic spots in the city. They stopped for a break and they ate breakfast. Although it was cold in Las Vegas, the temperatures were a lot better than Chicago so it was a good break from all that wind. Overall, it was a great day.

"So, do you want to watch the sunset or just head for dinner?"

"As much as I would love to watch the sunset, let's just go to dinner, okay?"

Antonio nodded his head as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Sounds good."

"Thank you." She said as she headed to their rental car. "You didn't have to do any of this, so thank you."

"I'll do anything to make you smile."

Sylvie smiled as she shook her head. "But now, it's my turn to make you smile." She said as they stopped in front of their car. "To make you happy."

"Hey." He said as he let go of his arm from around her and placed his hand on her face. "You do make me happy. More happy than I have been in a long time."

Sylvie nodded her head, but she still wasn't convinced. "But I haven't done anything for you."

He couldn't help but laughed. "I don't know how your past relationships were like—but our relationship isn't going to be like that–ever. You are the reason why we're here in the first place, by allowing me to see that we are good for each other—that we will be happy together." He explained to her, trying to make her see that she made him happy. "The bottom line is—when I picture myself happy, it's with you."

That made Sylvie feel better, a smile appeared on her face. "Then let's go eat and then have some fun!"

Antonio laughed and he nodded his head. He opened the passenger door, making sure she was in safety before he closed the door.

After dinner, they decided to skip gambling for tonight since it was already late and they both weren't into gambling anyway.

"So, let's head to the bar." He said as he headed into the hotel.

Sylvie took his hand as she followed him into the hotel. She was still so in love and amazed by how beautiful this hotel was. She nodded her head as they headed into the bar area.

"Don't get too drunk, okay?" he said, teasingly.

"Hey, I can handle my liquor." She laughed as she pushed him playfully.

"Sure, sure." He said, laughing.

They headed over to a table and sat down. "Are you having a good time?" He questioned.

Sylvie smiled and she placed her purse down beside her. She nodded her head. "Yes. I love that no one can interrupt us. And work definitely can't." She hated their work schedules because it kept them apart most of the time, but it also made times like these special.

"I know. I'm going to miss spending this much time together when we go home." He said with a frown. He looked up as a waitress walked over to them. "Can we have a bottle of bourbon?" He figured it would save time if he just brought the bottle. The waitress nodded her head and walked away.

"Are you trying to get me drunk, Antonio Dawson?" She asked with a hint of smile.

Antonio laughed. "Maybe. Have a problem with that?"

Sylvie shook her head. "No. At least we won't have to worry about driving." She pointed out.

"That is true." The waitress came over with the bottle and two glasses. He thanked the waitress as he handed her the money and a tip, in case they did end up drunk over this.

He opened the bottle and then he poured some in the glasses. He placed the bottle on the table and then he handed her the glass and picked up his own.

"Let's celebrate our first trip together—and so far, it's successful."

"Fingers crossed because it's not over yet." She said, smiling. They clink their glasses together, smiling at each other.

They both swig down their glasses and Sylvie shook her head. "Yeah, it won't be long until I'm drunk." She laughed. "I'm not used to drinking a lot of this."

"Yeah, blame it on that." He said, teasingly.

"You love teasing me, don't you?" She said, shaking her head. "I bet you will get drunk tonight too."

"I don't think so, baby. I know how to handle my liquor."

"Wanna make this interesting?" She asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"What are you thinking?" He questioned.

"If you get drunk first–hmm. Tomorrow we get to stay in the hotel—and do whatever I want." Her smiled turned into a smirk. "And I haven't had you in a few days—and you best believe what we are doing all day."

"And that's a punishment for me?" He asked, laughing.

"I don't think you heard me—whatever I want. Which means you can't be in control."

"Damn." He said, his smile fading from his face. "Fine but if you get drunk first–then I'm in control." He smirked.

She looked puzzled. "But aren't you always?"

Antonio laughed. "Uh no. Trust me babe, you won't have the control at all."

Sylvie pouted but she nodded anyway. "Fine. Deal."

For the next few hours, they were talking and making jokes, while not realizing that they both were drunk. They were just joking, and having a good time that the bet slipped their mind.

"No no—" Sylvie said, shaking her head laughing. How they ended up playing thumb wrestle was beyond her but Antonio was cheating. "Stop cheating!"

"I'm not!" Antonio said, defensively. "You just suck at this."

"Your fingers are just big—or well your thumb is." Sylvie said, laughing.

"Wait." Antonio said, looking at her. "Did you just call my thumbs big?" His eyes widened in surprise. "You never complained about that before!"

"Well, we never played this before so I had no reason to." Sylvie was the type of drunk that when she was drunk, she laughed at any thing.

The waitress announced they were closing and they both nodded their head. Thankfully they comprehended that because they were both so drunk.

As they both stood up, they realized it was hard to walk and Antonio grabbed her hand.

"Don't hold onto me!" Sylvie said in a frightened tone. "I'm going to fall!"

"No, you won't." He then started laughing hard. "It's like the blind leading the blind!" He said, referring to them both being drunk and not being able to hold onto each other.

"Shut up." Sylvie said, holding onto her stomach because she was laughing so hard. "I hate you so much right now."

"Girl, no you don't." He said, and as they walked past a chapel, Sylvie noticed a Elvis look-alike marrying someone.

"Oh my god!" Sylvie exclaimed. "We have to do that!" She said, starting to jump up and down excitedly.

Antonio looked into the chapel and then he looked back at Sylvie. "Get married? Sylvie, you're nuts." He said, laughing. "You just want to get married because of Elvis? Really?" He said in disbelief.

"Come on, Antonio." She said, giving him the puppy dog eyes, the look that he could never resist. "It's just for fun!" She said, obviously too drunk to know that's not the rules here. "We can just give that guy more money just for an act. Pleaseee."

"Even drunk, I can't say no to you." He nodded his head. "Okay, let's do it."

Sylvie smiled widely and she jumped into Antonio's arms, happy. "You're the best!"

The whole 'wedding' Sylvie couldn't stop smiling. It was a secret of hers how much she idolized Elvis, so this was amazing to her. They thought they told the guy this was for fun, but since Sylvie and Antonio were drunk, the guy could barely understand what they were saying. Every time he asked them what they meant by 'an act' they just started laughing.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, kiss the bride." It was clear to see how much they loved each other, the guy thought. Even when they were clearly drunk out of their minds, he figured this was what they wanted anyway. They do say a drunk thought speaks a sober mind.

Antonio leaned forward and he gave Sylvie a kiss, letting it linger for a few minutes. Once he pulled away, the room started spinning.

And that was the last thing either of them remembered.


	35. Chapter 35: Two Hearts Became One

**A/N Enjoy!**

Antonio was working on a tough case that was taking up much of his time. Which meant that he was constantly at the office and he was only home to sleep and take a shower.

He wasn't spending as much time as he wanted to with Sylvie and with it being the beginning of their relationship, he was hoping it wouldn't ruin them. When he voice his concerns to Sylvie a few days earlier she laughed and told him he was being silly.

Before this big case came, he planned a special night so that he could tell her that he loved her. They were dating for a few months and although everyone could tell how crazy he was about her, he just couldn't form the words. He felt like once he said those three words, their relationship would fall apart. However, he wanted to tell her. But now he didn't want to tell her because this case was taking up a lot of his time, and he wanted it to be romantic.

Antonio was looking over some files that he just received when Erin came over to him. "Hey man."

He looked up at her and he nodded his head. "Hey, Erin. What's up?" He questioned, noticing the look in her eyes.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing. Got any words from your CI?" She asked.

"No." He sighed. "Not yet. Hopefully soon."

"So how are things with you and Sylvie?" She asked and Antonio couldn't help but laughed. Because cops, paramedics, and firefighters are all connected in this city, keeping things private was hard. Especially around Erin. She just made you blurt out things. It was weird.

"We're fine." He said.

His phone started ringing. "Saved by the bell." He said, jokingly. But he knew Erin was about to ask more questions. He answered his phone and he nodded his head. He picked up a pen, writing down something. He hung up the phone. "Meeting with one of my CI's. She feels like she has a lead on something. I will be back." He announced as he stood up, putting on his coat.

As he walked out of the gate and down the stairs, he couldn't help but think of Sylvie. She had today off and he wished more than anything he could spend the entire day with her. But he figured after meeting with his CI, he could stop by her apartment, even for just five minutes.

After driving to where his CI was, he talked to her for a little while to get the information that he needed. Before he left, he reached in his pocket and gave her some money. "Keep me updated if you find anything else out."

"I will. And good luck." She said to him.

Antonio nodded his head and he walked over to his truck and he got inside. Thankfully he didn't need to drive that far since her apartment was right around the corner. After 10 minutes, he parked his truck and turned off his truck. He was nervous because he knew what he was about to do, and he hasn't done this in years. But it was the right thing—it felt right.

He stepped out of his truck and he closed the door. He walked up to her apartment and he knocked on her door. A few seconds later, the door opened and a big grin appeared on his face. How this woman made him this happy just by seeing her was beyond him, but right now he needed this.

And by her reaction, so did she. "Antonio!" She exclaimed as she threw herself in his arms. Luckily, he was able to balance them.

"Hey baby." He said with a laugh. "Seems like someone missed me."

"Hell yes. I know we just seen each other the other night–" she said as she let go of the hug. "But it feels longer than that." That's when a thought came over her. "Aren't you working?" She asked as she grabbed his hand and pulled him in her apartment.

"Yes. But I wanted to see you–even for 5 minutes."

She smiled softly at him, her boyfriend was the best. Gabby warned her that when Antonio got involved with a case, it was hard to get him away from it. But here he was, and she didn't have to call him. It just proved to her how much she meant to him.

While she had a smile on her face, Antonio stood there complementing on how to tell her that he loved her. Noticing the look on his face, her smile faded.

" Is everything okay?" She wasn't an insecure woman, not by the slightest. But when your workaholic boyfriend comes to see you while he was working, the odds are, it is never good. "You're—-you're not breaking up with me, are you?"

Antonio looked at her with a puzzled look. "Why would I do that?" He asked.

Sylvie shrugged her shoulders. "I mean, I just thought you were going to give me that lame excuse that your work is too busy for a relationship."

Antonio shook his head. "No. That isn't it." He reassured her.

"Then what is it? Because you're freaking me out here."

Antonio didn't know how to say this—he didn't want to blurt it out but at the same time, doing all the romantic things he wanted to do was too time consuming right now. After being silent for a few minutes, he started to speak. "Look, I don't have much time, but I wanted to say I love you."

Sylvie felt better knowing he wasn't breaking up with her. But then her heart started to pound because Antonio just said he loved her!

"Sylvie?" He called out.

She broke out of her thoughts, shaking her head. "I—I–I love you too." She stammered out. "I mean, I love you too." She said more confidently this time.

"Really?" He said, walking closer to her.

"Really." She said, smiling. "How can I not be? You're caring, sexy, amazing, loyal. Just everything a woman is looking for."

He was about to say something when his radio went off. He sighed. "Damn." He placed his hands on her waist, giving her a kiss, letting it linger for a few seconds. He pulled away. "I have to go baby."

She groaned, shaking her head. She pulled him back down for another kiss. She pulled away, nodding her head again. "Be careful, okay?"

He nodded his head. "I will, I promise. I love you."

She smiled, knowing she will never grow tired of hearing those three words. "I love you too."

He kissed her head and then he walked towards her door. "I'll come by after shift so we can celebrate the right way." He knew he could have waited until later to tell her this, but he also knew he couldn't wait another minute to tell her that he loved her.

"Okay. Can't wait." She smiled as she watched as he opened the door and walked out of the apartment.

She couldn't believe that Antonio Dawson was in love with her. She felt like dancing, she felt singing it on top of her roof top. Her heart was literally singing.


	36. Chapter 36: Idiots in Love

**A/N The conclusion of the Las Vegas story :) Enjoy!**

Sylvie felt the sun shining on her face and she groaned. How much did they drink last night? It must have been a lot to make her feel this awful.

She looked down at Antonio's face and she smiled slightly. Although they gotten completely wasted, it was still a successful night—a night that she had no clue on what happened. But they made it back to the room so that was the important part.

"What time is it?" Antonio managed to groaned out.

"11:30 AM." She whispered softly. "If we have to talk today, let's use our quiet voices, okay?"

Antonio nodded his head, agreeing with that idea. His head was killing him and he wasn't the type of person to experience hangovers. He tried to remembered some details about last night but nothing was coming to his head.

Before he could say anything to her, there was a loud knock at the door.

"Who's that? We're here alone!" She exclaimed which made Antonio flinched. So much for quiet voices today.

"Room service!" The perky guy announced.

"Antonio I know I'm against violence, but please go kick his ass." She said in a serious tone.

"I'm not doing that." He said and he couldn't help but laughed. He stood up from the bed. "But I thought I advise against room service." He said, puzzled. "You know–" he said as he slipped on his shirt and sweatpants. "It amazes me that we still had time to have sex last night considering how drunk we were."

Sylvie laughed as she leaned her head back. She was wondering the same thing but her head pounding stopped her from expressing that.

Antonio walked over to the door and he unlocked it. He opened the door, glaring at the man. "I thought when I ordered the room, I said no room service? Especially unannounced?" He said in an annoyed tone. Room service to him was expensive for no reason.

"We understand but here at this hotel, this is our newlyweds special. Free of charge. Congratulations and have–"

Antonio shook his head. "Sorry, but you have the wrong room, we aren't married."

"I'm sorry—is this–" he looked down at the paper in front of him. "Mr. Dawson's room?"

Antonio nodded his head, still puzzled. "Yes."

As Antonio was arguing with this man, Sylvie started to remember last night. How she saw that Elvis look-alike and wanted him to act it out. She even remembered that poor man's face when they kept saying to act it out, he was confused. Oh god, her and Antonio was married and it was all her fault. "Oh my god!" Sylvie gasped and Antonio turned his head in surprise at her outburst.

Sylvie quickly got out of bed and she walked over to the door. "Thank you so much. This is sweet, really." She pushed the cart in the room, needing to speak with her new husband. Oh god. Antonio was gonna divorce her and break up with her over this. What kind of idiot wanted to be married by Elvis? This girl that's who. She closed the door as she looked at Antonio. "You don't remember anything from last night?" She asked.

Antonio thought of it and he shook his head. "No. Which is strange because we didn't drink that much. Do you remember anything?"

She nodded her head, nervously. "Let me just explain before you stop me, okay?"

He nodded his head, puzzled but he let her start talking.

"Okay, so the bar was closing and we were walking back to our room when I got distracted because I saw an Elvis- lookalike marrying someone and I wanted Elvis to marry us, but only for an act. But now that I'm sober, I know that is impossible. You agreed but—now we're married." She slapped her forehead. "I'm so sorry. I was so stupid."

"No, it's okay. I had a mind of my own. I just agreed because I can't say no to you."

"This is your fault, you know?"

"My fault? How?" He asked, puzzled. "You wanted this!"

"You are supposed to be the one who is in control at all times." Saying the word control, she remembered their bet. "You know, we forgot all about that bet." She pointed out.

"It's safe to say that I won that bet."

"How?"

"You made us get married! So obviously you were drunker than I was." He said, trying to make it light of this whole situation.

Sylvie cracked a smile but then she shook her head. "Come on, Antonio, be serious!" She exclaimed. "We aren't ready for this. We only been going out for a few months."

"I know the wedding wasn't what we came here for, but now that it happened, what can we do?"

"Well, when we get back to Chicago, we can file for an annulment or divorce."

Antonio immediately shook his head. "No, sorry baby, but no."

"Please don't be the kind of man that wants to stay married because you don't want a second failed marriage." She complained.

"No. That isn't it." He said, walking over to her. "If we were just friends, fine. You can have the annulment, the divorce, whatever you want. But I'm in love with you. We're together."

"But we aren't ready for this, Antonio! Imagine what people will say!" She was freaking out, and she wished Antonio would join her.

"I don't care!" He fired back at her. "Everyone can say we're idiots. But at least we're idiots in love."

"Antonio, the statistics of a Las Vegas wedding lasting is very slim to none."

"Then we prove the statistics wrong! I'm not divorcing the woman I'm in love with."

"You divorced Laura." She pointed out.

"But that was different." He sighed as he ran his hand over his face. He didn't talk much about his divorce but right now seem like a good time as any. "Laura wasn't happy with me. She wanted me to quit my job, or worst, stay behind a desk all day. She took my kids and left. I was left with no choice but to sign the divorce papers." He explained.

"If your marriage to Laura couldn't last, what makes you think ours can?" She questioned.

"Because you're nothing like Laura. And I mean that in the best way possible. You would never make me choose between my love for you and my job." He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not saying our marriage is going to be perfect—but our marriage deserved this chance, we deserve this chance."

"We do." She said, finally relaxing. "You're right. We will make this work."

Antonio smiled softly at her and he leaned in, giving her a kiss. "Once we get back to Chicago, we'll get rings." He promised.

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "So, this is our last day here–what should we do?"

"I don't know about you–but I would rather just lay in bed with my new wife."

"That sounds perfect. And since you won the bet, that means when we make love, you're in control." She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Well, in that case then–" He lifted her over his shoulders, carrying her over to the bed. She giggled in delight as she realized their marriage would last forever, because she wasn't going to be like Laura and give up on Antonio, ever.

—

The last day in Vegas went by fast. When they were taking a break from making love, they were watching movies, or just talking. They were blissfully happy, Sylvie was afraid of telling everyone because she didn't want anyone to take their joy away. However, this kind of secret would be hard to keep.

She didn't have to be at work until the next day, so before that, Antonio wanted to get their rings.

"So, because we're married now, I guess that means we should discuss our living arrangements." Sylvie said. "Because I'm not living away from my husband."

"I just figured you would move in with me?" He questioned. "If you want to move in a house, we can start to look around."

"Are you kidding me? I love your apartment." She smiled softly at him. "If we have any reasons to move in the future, then we can. But right now, your apartment is great."

He nodded his head. "So, this weekend then we can start moving in your things." He suggested.

She nodded her head. "Sounds perfect. Do you think the kids will be happy?"

"Of course. They love you. We could tell them later today if you want?" He offered.

She smiled and she nodded her head. "Yes. I want to tell them first. They are my family now after all."

He nodded his head as he parked outside a jewelry place. He stopped his truck and got out. Sylvie did the same and she walked over to him.

"Don't worry about the price, okay?" He said as he walked inside, walking over to the rings selection.

As she looked down at the rings, there were a few that caught her eye. But she wondered if they were jinxing their marriage already by her coming here. Then again, they weren't the tradition couple, and if they were already proving that.

"You pick." She told Antonio. "It would be more special if you picked our rings for us."

He looked at her and he nodded his head after a few seconds. "Okay." After a few minutes of looking, he picked out the wedding rings that felt like it was perfect for them. "That one." He said to the salesman. He nodded his head and picked out the rings. He asked for their sizes and Antonio and Sylvie told him their ring sizes.

"Do you want to try it on now?" The salesman's questioned.

They both shook their heads at his question. "No. Thank you." Antonio said as he took out his wallet and then took out his credit card and ID to hand to the salesman.

"I'm so excited." She said happily.

"I am too." He said, smiling at her. Once the guy put the charge on his credit card, he handed it back to him as well as his ID. Antonio never did anything this spontaneous but he was happy with how it turned out.

Once the salesman secured the rings in the ring box, he placed them in a bag and handed it to Antonio. "Enjoy!" The man said to both of them and they nodded their head at him. "Thank you."

He held the bag tightly as he took her hand with his free one. "Let's go tell the kids and then head home."

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "Sounds perfect."

They walked over to the truck and got inside. 20 minutes later, they were at Laura's apartment and she unbuckled her seat belt. "I'm nervous." She confessed.

"Don't be." He said as he unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the truck. The rings were safety inside his truck. He walked inside her apartment building and headed towards her door. He was hoping Laura wasn't home today.

He raised his fists and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, Eva opened the door. "Dad, Sylvie!" Eva said, giving them a hug.

"Hey sweetie." Antonio said, returning the hug. "Is your mom around?" He asked.

Eva laughed. "Please. She went out to eat with her boyfriend."

"Okay good." Antonio said, walking inside the apartment with Sylvie.

"How was Vegas?" Eva asked. Antonio didn't even know she knew, but when he looked at Sylvie, he figured she said something.

"It was good." Sylvie smiled.

"That's why we came here to talk to you guys actually. Can you get Diego?" Antonio asked Eva.

She nodded her head and she stalked off to go get her brother. A few minutes later, they both walked in the living room. "Hey dad. Hey Sylvie." Diego said, smiling at them.

"Hey Diego." Antonio said, giving his son a hug. "Come on, let's sit. We need to talk."

Eva, being a female, thought the worst. "You guys didn't break up, did you?" Eva hoped not, she loved Sylvie and thought they made a cute couple, despite the guy being her father.

Sylvie laughed, shaking her head. "No, sweetie, we're still together." She said, as they all sat down.

"Then what is it?" Diego asked.

"Well–" Antonio began as he looked over at Sylvie. They both nodded their heads. "We're married!" They both said at the same time.

"What?!" Eva and Diego said at the same time.

"Blame Sylvie. She wanted to get married by an Elvis look-alike. And I can't say no to her." Antonio said, smiling at his wife.

Eva laughed. Yup, that sounded like Sylvie. "Well–I mean, we're happy for you. We're just surprised that is all."

"To be honest, nothing between us is changing." Sylvie said.

"You're just now our step mother." Diego pointed out.

Sylvie nodded her head. "But I won't be the mean step-mother type." Sylvie said laughing.

"We know that." Eva said, looking over at Diego. "We love you already, so we know it will only get better."

Sylvie smiled grew wider and she nodded her head. They all stood up, hugging each other. That went better than expected.

Later that night, Sylvie was sitting back on the couch, resting since she was back on shift tomorrow.

Antonio walked in the living room, smiling at Sylvie. "We're married. And my kids are happy about it. I feel like I'm dreaming."

"I feel the same way. Thank you for getting me to calm down."

"Of course." He smiled softly at her as he held up the bag. "So, ring time."

"Yes." Sylvie stood up from the couch. "But you know, once we put this ring on, everyone will know." She warned him.

"I think that's the point of rings." He laughed. "But I want the whole world to know that you're my wife." He said as he took out the boxes and handed one to her. "I know this might sound cheesy, but until we have time—and money too, to have a real wedding, I want to say a few vows to you."

"I want to do the same." She confessed.

"Okay. I'll go first." Antonio said and Sylvie nodded her head. She placed the box he handed her down on the table.

He opened the box that contained her ring and he took it out. She held up her hand as he slid the ring on her finger. "I know that we have only been dating for a few months and we can't possibly know everything about each other that fast, but I know that we are going to make this work. I promise that I'm never going to give up on us, ever. It's because of you that I am happy every day. I promise to forever keep you happy. I promise that whenever we're arguing, I'm going to do whatever I can to fix it, and never let us go to bed angry. Thank you for making me happy, and making me a better man."

She had tears streaming down her face at this moment but she didn't let that stop her. "Before you, I always thought a man truly loved me when he started to control me, or dictate everything I did. You are the true definition of a man, and the man of my dreams. Before you, I thought a man like you didn't exist anymore and that I would forever be alone. Thank you for loving me, and hell, thank you for existing. I promise from this day forward that I'm always going to respect and love you the way you deserve. Forever." She picked up the box and opened it, taking out the ring. She slid it on his finger as the tears kept streaming down her face.

"I love you." Antonio said.

"I love you too." She said back as he leaned in, giving her a kiss.

—–

The next morning, Sylvie was all smiles. How could she not be? She was married to the love of her life. She felt like she was in heaven at this moment.

"Ready to go?" Antonio asked as he peeked his head inside the bathroom.

She was done braiding her hair 20 minutes ago, but she was just lost in thought, thinking how amazing her new husband was.

"Yes." She said as she walked out of the bathroom and picked up her paramedic bag. "As happy as I am right now, I hope no one ruins it today."

"They won't." He reassured her. "Or else, I'd kick their ass." He said, jokingly.

"My hero." She laughed as she slipped on her coat.

"Always." He smiled softly at her as he placed on his coat and headed out of their apartment. He couldn't believe how quickly everything changed. They were gone for three days and came back as a married couple. It was crazy, but the good kind of crazy. The kind of crazy he needed in his life.

"So, are you going to come in?" Sylvie asked as he drove her to the firehouse. "Or are you just going to leave?"

"And let them gang up on my wife?" He asked, shaking his head. "No way. I'll come in."

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "My husband is the best."

"And don't you forget it." He winked at her.

A few minutes later, he parked outside of the firehouse. "Ready?" He questioned as he turned off the truck and took the keys out of the ignition.

"I guess." She sighed. She didn't want anyone taking away her happiness right now. She loved her firehouse family, but at times they could be insensitive. She unbuckled her seat belt and stepped out of the truck.

He did the same and he walked over to her, grabbing her hand. He walked inside the firehouse and noticed everyone was there already.

"Hey, Antonio. Hey Sylvie." Herrmann was the first to acknowledge them.

"What's going on, guys?" Gabby asked as everyone sat silent at the table.

At this time, even Boden came out of his office and was leaning to the side for the news. He loved being in the know when it came to his firehouse family.

"Well" Sylvie began. "We pulled a Severide!" She said, lightening the mood.

It took everyone a minute to realize what that meant. Otis was the first one to screamed it. "They got married!"

Everyone was shocked to hear the news. "It was all Sylvie's idea. She wanted an Elvis look-alike to marry us."

Sylvie laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "Oh well."

"Let's just hope your marriage lasts longer than Severide's." Cruz pointed out, causing everyone to laugh.

"And I'm sure you all are going to start a poll soon." Casey threw back.

Antonio and Sylvie shook their heads, in amusement.

"If you guys do–" Antonio said, getting everyone's attention. "I want forever for $500."

Sylvie smiled as she leaned up, kissing Antonio's cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too." Antonio said, smiling at her. Gabby walked up to them, giving Sylvie a hug.

"That means we're sisters now." She smiled.

Sylvie nodded her head, hugging her back. "I knew eventually it would happen, just not this soon." She turned her attention to Antonio. "But I'm glad it did. I never been happier."

"I know that feeling. Even with everything happening with Louie, I haven't been happier since my marriage."

Gabby walked over to Antonio, giving him a hug. "Congratulations, bro."

Antonio smiled and he hugged his sister back. "Thank you, sis."

"Kind of upset I wasn't there." Gabby said once they pulled away.

"Don't worry, we're having a real wedding once we have enough money saved up." He reassured her.

Casey walked up to Sylvie, giving her a hug. "Congratulations." She smiled and she nodded her head. "Thanks, Matt."

He walked over to Antonio, giving him a handshake. "Congrats, man. We're happy for you guys."

After everyone said their congrats, Antonio turned to Sylvie. "I have to go to work. I'll pick you up after shift, okay?" He said.

"Okay." She said with a frowned. They haven't been apart since they were married, granted it was only a few days, but still.

"Hey. It'll come by fast, I promise." He said as he headed towards the door. He turned to looked at her. "I love you. Be careful today.

"You too, please." She said as she leaned up and kissed him deeply. She pulled away after a few seconds. "I love you too."

Antonio smiled and he nodded his head. He gave her one last look before he walked out and headed towards his truck.

20 minutes later, he parked outside of the police district and he took a deep breath. He turned off his truck and took his keys out of the ignition. He unbuckled his seat belt and then he stepped out of his truck.

He sighed, already missing his wife. It was weird because after his divorce with Laura, he swore he was never getting married again, that he wasn't the husband type of guy. But now, he was married and couldn't be happier.

He walked inside the 21st district and headed towards the gate. He scanned his fingers and then walked through the gate.

He nodded his head as a way to say hello to everyone.

"How was Vegas?" Jay said.

"Great!" Antonio said, smiling. He slipped off his coat, forgetting about his ring.

"Oh my god." Erin gasped. "Is that a ring on your finger?"

Antonio laughed and he looked at the ring on his finger. "Uh, yes. I sort of—got married."

Atwater, Olinsky, and Ruzek laughed while Jay and Erin stared at him in surprise.

"Didn't peg you for that type." Atwater said, his tone full of amusement.

"I'm not." He said, rolling his eyes. "But I was drunk and even drunk, I can't say no to Sylvie." He said, smiling at the mention of his new wife.

"Honestly, I thought Jay and Erin would get married first." Ruzek said.

"Oh no." Erin said, shaking her head. "Not happening for a long time."

They all laughed and as Voight came out of his office.

"What's going on?" He asked his team.

"Antonio got married in Vegas." Olinsky said, laughing.

"Cheaper that way." He said. "My wedding cost a lot, kind of regretted that because we can have used the money for something else. But Camille was happy, so that was the important thing." He walked over to Antonio, giving him a handshake. "Congrats, Dawson."

Antonio nodded his head with a smile. "Thanks." He said, returning the handshake back.

Voight nodded his head. "Now let's get back to business. We have a tough case today."

Antonio went down to business, his mind focused on this case. For the first time in a long time, his personal life was as great as it could be, as great as anyone would want. So, that made his professional life great too. He wasn't letting any case bring him down at this moment.


	37. Chapter 37: You Found Me

**A/N A story about Antonio saving Sylvie. Enjoy!**

Sylvie walked inside the firehouse after Antonio dropped her off. She insisted that she take her car, but he wanted to see her even just for a few extra minutes. It was sweet so she couldn't argue with him after that.

Their schedules made it hard to always spend time together, so any extra time they could fit in, they used it to their advantage.

"Look who it is." Stella said as Sylvie walked into the kitchen.

"I'm not late." Sylvie said, in a puzzled tone. She knew her mind has been on Antonio a lot lately, but she didn't think the time to being here changed.

"I mean because we haven't saw you the last two days." Stella explained.

"Oh, sorry." Sylvie's face broke out in a smile when she remembered what she did the last two days. She was busy with Antonio and his kids.

"By the look on your face, we know what you were doing." Stella teased.

Sylvie laughed, shaking her head. "Oh shut up." She said to Stella as she made her way into the kitchen, ready to fix her something to eat when Boden stopped her.

"Hey Brett." He said in greeting.

"Hey Chief." Noticing the look on his face, she wondered what was wrong. "Everything okay, Chief?"

He nodded his head. "Oh yeah, everything is fine. Gabby needed a personal day, and her replacement for the shift won't be in until later this afternoon. I tried my best, Brett. I did."

Sylvie smiled and she shook her head. "Oh no, it's okay."

"Okay. It's only for a few hours." Boden promised. "Thank you, Brett." He headed out of the room and back into his office.

Sylvie continued making her self a bowl of cereal and then she headed back to the table and she sat down.

She listened to Herrmann, Stella, and Otis in a debate, and she stayed silent. She knew how they all got and wanted to stay out of it.

However, they had other plans. Herrmann was about to say something when the bell went off.

"5401 N. Elston Ave." Sylvie stood up, running out of the firehouse.

Herrmann called after her. "I'll ask you later!"

"Can't wait!" Sylvie yelled back as she ran over to the ambulance and got inside. She hoped it wasn't anything hard since she was on her own, but this wasn't the first time on her own so she knew she would be fine with it.

She pulled off and she headed towards her location. Once she made it there, she parked.

She stepped out of the ambulance and she headed towards the back of the ambulance to grab the equipment.

She didn't see anyone so she started calling out. "Hello? Anyone call for help?"

As she walked closer to the warehouse, she heard groaning. She could tell that someone was in trouble.

She just didn't feel like it was a good idea to walk in the warehouse by herself, it reminded her of bad times. But she figured she would be okay.

However, as soon as she walked in the warehouse, she realized she made a huge mistake. The door closed shut and she felt a gun pressed against her head. Oh yeah, Antonio was going to kill her, after he killed this person anyway.

"Don't scream, don't make a sound." He warned. Sylvie nodded her head, but anyone could tell that she was afraid. "Give me your phone and radio."

Knowing that no one would find her then, she got even more scared. And she was alone. All alone. She listened to his orders and she slipped off her radio and gave him her phone.

She already knew he was going to break her radio, but she thought he was only going to turn off her phone. But instead after he smashed her radio, he did the same to her phone. She gasped. She only just brought the cell phone.

"You listen to me, and we won't have any problems."

—–

Stella noticed that Sylvie was gone for a long time. And when she asked Herrmann if he thought it was okay, he shrugged his shoulders.

"I would say she's probably visiting Antonio, but she won't take this long." It had been over three hours since Sylvie has been gone, and once Stella mentioned it, they all got worried.

Herrmann was acting lieutenant today since both Gabby and Matt were off handling some things dealing with Louie.

"The last time this happened—-" Otis sentence trailed off.

Everyone knew what that meant—except Stella. "Wait–what happened last time?" She asked concerned.

"Sylvie and Mills were kidnapped." Herrmann said simply.

"We need to let Boden know then!" Stella said. "And Antonio. He can find her."

"No!" Herrmann said, shaking his head. "Not yet. You don't know Antonio like we do. We have to be sure first. Once we tell him his girlfriend is missing, he is going to want to tear this city apart looking for her."

"And?" Stella questioned. "If he finds her, that's all that matters."

"First, let's tell Boden." Herrmann said as he walked away, with Stella and Otis on his heels. He walked towards Boden's office and he knocked on the door.

Boden was on the phone but noticing their worried faces, he motioned for them to enter and he told the person on the phone he'll call them right back. "What's going on?"

"Brett has been on a call for three hours now. We think something is wrong." Herrmann said, straight to the point. "And Stella thinks we need to notify Antonio."

Boden shook his head at his suggestion. "No. We need to make sure Brett is in danger first. I rather not deal with an angry Antonio Dawson unless I have to."

"Okay. We'll check out the scene where she went to."

"Before that, check her radio. See if it's on." Boden advised and Herrmann nodded his head. Wherever Sylvie was, Herrmann and the rest of the truck was going to find her.

—-

"Just bandage him up and I'll let you go." The guy said. And if what he asked her to do was just bandaging, she wouldn't mind.

"But he needs stitches and possibly surgery." She said.

"Then do it!" The guy ordered. If he wasn't waving a gun at her, she might have been more relaxed.

"I don't know how to!" Sylvie said frustrated.

Before Sylvie could react, someone hit her over the head and then everything went dark.

—

"No. Nothing." Herrmann sighed. Where the hell was Sylvie?

"Come on truck! Let's go for a ride." As they headed out to the truck, Severide stopped them.

"Where are you guys going?" He asked.

"Brett is missing, and we're going to check the last place we know she was at." Herrmann explained to Severide.

Severide stood up, ready to head out with them. It made Herrmann happy to see how the family reacted, knowing their own was in trouble.

"No." Herrmann said, shaking his head. "Stay here."

Severide nodded his head as he sat back down.

They headed towards the truck and they all dressed in their firefighters attire incase of being alerted while out. Once they were ready, they got inside and Otis drove off.

A few minutes later they were at their destination, Herrmann told the others to stay inside the truck and he stepped out.

"Brett." He called out. Not getting any answer, he walked around the alley, looking for her. "Sylvie. Come on! Antonio is going to kill us!"

Noticing the door to the warehouse was ajar, he figured he should check it out. Knowing he should call Antonio, he shook his head. He would rather do this then deal with Antonio Dawson right now.

He opened the door more and he walked inside, calling out her name. "Brett!" After searching inside for 20 minutes, he couldn't find her or any trace of her. Once he walked towards the door, he noticed something off to the side. He walked over to it and bent down, noticing that it was her phone.

Yep. Sylvie Brett was officially missing. Someone kidnapped her. All he wanted to do was hide from the warpath that was soon going to be Antonio.

They made it back to the firehouse, and Severide stood up, shaking his head once he saw their faces.

Boden heard the truck pulled up and he walked outside, meeting them. "Any news?"

Herrmann shook his head. "I found her phone in a warehouse but didn't find her."

"Okay. I'm going to call Voight and let him break the news to Antonio." Boden said and they nodded their heads.

—–

Voight sighed after what he heard from Boden. "We'll get on it, Chief. She's more family now than ever since she's dating my detective."

After they hung up the phone, Voight stood up, looking towards Antonio. He wasn't looking forward to this, but he also couldn't keep this from Antonio.

He opened his door and he walked into the room. He walked over to Antonio. "Antonio? I just got a call from Chief Boden." He began, easing his way into telling Antonio his girlfriend was missing. "Sylvie is missing."

Antonio's eyes widened when he heard that his girlfriend is missing. "What do you mean missing? Where the hell was she?" He asked as he stood up, on a mission to find his girlfriend.

"Antonio wait. I promised Boden we will all handle this." He turned to everyone else. "Forget the case we were working on, this is what we need to focus on right now. Sylvie is family, and not just because her and Antonio is dating." Voight said.

"She's my girlfriend so I'm going to find her. Where was she last?" He questioned. The last time a case became this personal was when Diego was kidnapped. A memory he wanted to forget.

Voight told him the last address she was at. "Take Olinsky with you."

Antonio shook his head at the suggestion. "I will be fine on my own."

"That isn't a request, it's an order!" Voight barked at him. He hated getting tough with Antonio, but if he wouldn't, no one else would. They respected and also feared him at the same time.

Antonio grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair and he walked downstairs and opened the gate aggressively. His girlfriend was the only thing on his mind.

Olinsky nodded his head at Voight to let him know that he'll keep him in control. He walked after Antonio, walking down the stairs and opening the gate.

20 minutes later, they walked in the warehouse and Antonio shook his head. He was so angry and frustrated. Sylvie didn't deserve this. No one did, but certainly not Sylvie.

"Just stay calm and keep a cool head. If you get yourself work up, you're going to miss clues that leads us to her." Olinsky suggested.

Antonio nodded his head, trying to calm down. But he was so worried for Sylvie. He took out a flashlight from his clip and he took a deep breath. After this, he was going to contact a few of his CI's, although he wasn't sure if that would work.

"I don't even know where to look." Antonio said.

"Go to the right, I'll go to the left." Olinsky said, hoping to help him as much as he could.

Antonio nodded his head and he turned to the right. "Come on baby, help me find you." He walked over, placing his flashlight on objects when he noticed something. His heart dropped to his stomach when he bent down and noticed it was blood.

He couldn't sit here and examining this blood all night, that he knew. "I'm going to need forensics here as soon as possible." He said into his radio. This blood looked new so it couldn't have been here longer than possibly 6 or 7 hours.

Olinsky followed where Antonio was. "There is a witness that said she saw an injured man, severe injured man going into a car. And then a few minutes later a man had an unconscious woman in his arms and put her in the car."

Antonio stood up, knowing it had to be Sylvie. Shit, she wasn't awake, they didn't have much time.

"Did she give a description of the guy?" He questioned.

"Better, she got the license plate and a picture of the guy and woman. Voight is sending us the picture."

Antonio nodded his head, trying to remain calm. His girlfriend was out there, vulnerable and unconscious. He was so afraid. Possibly more afraid than with Diego. At least with Diego, he knew he was conscious.

A few minutes later, he heard his phone vibrate and he took out his phone. They gave him the guy's name from the license plate and he examined the guy's face.

"I'm going to send this to all my CI's. See if they know." Antonio said as he forward the picture to his CI's, asking them if they knew the guy.

"Let's head back to the station." Olinsky said and Antonio nodded his head.

It was an hour later when he received a text from one of his CI's giving him the address of the guy involved. She told him to go alone since he was dangerous.

Not wanting to risk Sylvie's life and wanting her home now, he slipped out of the room without no one realizing it.

Once at the address, he took a deep breath and he took out his gun. Sylvie better not have a missing hair out of her head or these guys were dead.

He may get suspended over this, but she was worth it. As long as she was okay, he would be okay.

He stepped out of his truck and he walked up to the door. He noticed the door was ajar and had a bad feeling about this.

When he opened the door further, he heard a guy panicking. "Wake up! This wasn't the plan."

Uh oh. Sylvie still wasn't awake. This wasn't good, not at all.

He wasn't sure if the guy heard him or not, but Sylvie needed him right now.

As he got closer to the guy, he noticed he was the only one in here now. And then he looked down at the person he was waving the gun at. It was Sylvie and her head was bleeding. If he made the wrong move, he could hurt her—or worst.

The good thing was that he had the upper hand. He put the gun back in his waistband, thinking maybe attacking him was best. He needed to get the gun out of his hand. As he thought about how much pain Sylvie was in, his jaw was clenched. He was so pissed. Paramedics were meant to save a life, none of them deserved to die.

He didn't have any more time to think, so without another minute, he tackled the guy on the ground. The guy yelped in surprise, not expecting that.

"Police! Stay still!" The guy was trying to fight Antonio. The nerve of this guy.

He raised his fist and punched the guy right in the face. "Stop it!" The guy yelled out in pain. As Antonio looked over at Sylvie, he lost it. He was punching this guy and only stopped when Voight pulled him off of the guy.

"Dawson! Stop! You got him. You did good. Go get Sylvie!" He barked orders at him and Antonio nodded his head, breathlessly.

Not knowing how Voight found him, he was about to ask, but figured that was a talk for a different time. Sylvie needed him.

He rushed over to her side, shaking her awake. "Sylvie, baby. Wake up!" He checked her pulse and he sighed in relief when he found one. It was weak, but he was still relieved there was one.

"Help is on the way." Voight said to Antonio. He then turned his attention to the loser. "I'll be at the station, questioning this asshole." He knew what he meant by that so he just nodded his head. "And we'll talk about you coming here alone later."

Antonio just nodded his head, not caring about that right now. He looked down at Sylvie. "Please baby! Wake up!"

The paramedics ran in and started working on her. "I'm going with her." He ordered.

"Is she your wife?" The paramedic asked and he shook his head. "Then sorry, you can't. Family members only."

The day Antonio had, he didn't mind hurting someone else. He showed his badge to the paramedic and he nodded his head. "Okay, come then."

Antonio hated using his badge in a bad way, but he needed to stay close to Sylvie right now. He wasn't letting her out of his sight right now.

When they place her in the ambulance, he stepped in as the paramedic closed the door. He walked over to her and he grabbed her hand. "Come on baby, wake up. I need you to open your eyes. Fight for me please." He stepped to the side to let the paramedic run an IV in her. "You need to wake up because I can't do this without you."

Antonio knew right now her body needed rest, but he just wanted to see her eyes. He wanted—needed to know that she was okay.

A few minutes later, he saw her eyes fluttered open. He was never so happy to see someone open their eyes before. "Antonio?" She asked in a hoarse tone.

"Shh save your energy. I just wanted to know that you're okay." He smiled softly at her as he leaned down, kissing her forehead.

"H—how did you find me?" She asked, ignoring his advice.

"I'm a detective, baby. Not many people can hide from me. Remember that." Later he was going to scolded her, but now she just needed to rest. And save her energy so he could get a statement from her, or maybe Erin could. If he heard the events that happened, he might be in jail later.

"I know." She nodded her head. "You found me." Her face broke out in a smile. "I knew you would."

"Of course I would. As soon as I found out you were missing, I looked for you. And I wasn't stopping until I found you."

"My hero." She said.

"Always." He said as he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I love you, now rest. I'm not going anywhere." He promised.

She looked down at their hands holding and noticed the open cut on his hand. She shook her head, knowing she didn't have any energy to argue with him over that. Besides, he did save her life after all. "I love you too baby." She closed her eyes, letting sleep overcome her. She felt safe knowing that Antonio was now by her side.


	38. Chapter 38: Strength

Sylvie had the toughest shift ever. She wasn't sure what it was about Chicago in winter, but it always sucked. Their last call lasted 2 hours and in the end they lost a family. An entire family. It killed her and she wanted to cry during it, but she held herself from doing that. Because she knew once she started, she wouldn't stop.

She never felt so happy to be home. She stepped inside her apartment and she closed the door behind her, locking it. She knew Antonio had to go to work today, so she didn't want to bring her issues to him before he had to go. It didn't seem fair because then he would have felt guilty when he had to leave.

She walked in her bedroom, taking out her hair on the way there. She took off her paramedic uniform and changed into her pajamas. Once she got into her bed, she let the tears fall. No one ever told her being a paramedic could be this hard at times.

It was hours later when she heard banging at her door. When she opened her eyes, it was still red and puffy from the crying session she went through before sleep overcame.

She looked over at the time and noticed it was 4:15 PM, she never slept that late, but then again the stress made her sleep long.

She got up from bed, wondering who it could be at the door, but then she realized she should have known.

She unlocked her door and opened the door, seeing Antonio standing there with a worried look on his face. "I text you like 10 times." He said as he walked inside her apartment.

She closed the door as soon as he walked inside. She turned around to face him. "I was sleeping." She whispered.

In the light he could see that her eyes were red and puffy like she was crying. "Baby, what's wrong?" He asked as he walked closer to her.

"Rough shift." She explained as she walked over to the couch and sat down.

"Hey." He said as he walked after her and sat down beside her. "Talk to me. Just saying rough shift doesn't really say anything."

She nodded her head. "The last call of shift was a huge house fire. It took 2 hours and in the end we lost an entire family. 2 kids, a mother and father. We all felt horrible." Sylvie explained, trying to fight back the tears once again.

Antonio nodded his head as he placed his hand on her back, rubbing his hand up and down gently, in a gesture to comfort her.

"I know they say not to get attached on calls or to patients, but it's hard."

"I know it is." He said in a soothing tone.

She leaned her hand up and wiped away the tear that threatened to fall. "You're here early." She observed.

"I know." He nodded his head. "I was worried about you. You normally answer my texts."

She smiled slightly at him. "And you came to see me while still on duty? That's sweet."

"You come before my job. Our relationship comes first."

Her heart melted at his words. He always knew what to say to make her feel better. Maybe that was why they were good for each other, perfect for each other even.

"I love you." She said, meaning it with all her heart and soul.

"I love you too." He said as he leaned forward and kissed her softly. "I'll be back in a few hours, okay?"

She frowned at his words. "This was a tease."

"I know baby. But I just wanted to stop by and make sure you were okay. I wouldn't have been able to concentrate on anything until I knew for sure." He said as he stood up.

She didn't move from the couch, she started pouting, not wanting him to leave yet. Although she knew he needed to get back to work.

Antonio laughed, noticing the expression on her face. "Oh baby." He sat down next to her as he grabbed her hand. "I'll be back here before you know it."

She shook her head, as she pushed her lips out more, her pouting turning cute and she knew it.

Antonio shook his head, a smile never leaving his face. "You're so cute when you pout like that."

Sylvie looked up at him and she sighed. "You're so mean."

Antonio smiled as he leaned down, pressing his lips against hers. "I am not. Mean to others, sure. But to you? Never." He said as he pulled away from the kiss.

"Not yet." She whispered against his lips. She pulled him down for another kiss, this time deepening the kiss.

A few minutes later he pulled away, groaning. "I need to leave before I don't have the strength to do that."

Sylvie laughed and she nodded her head. She stood up, taking his hand. "Maybe when you come back, I won't be wearing anything." She wiggled her eyebrows at him.

He groaned, shaking his head. "At least now I have motivation to not get killed out there." He said jokingly.

"You better not." She laughed. "Be careful."

"I will." He kissed her forehead and then he opened her door, walking out of her apartment. "See you soon."

Sylvie nodded her head and once he was out of view, she closed the door and sighed. She hated when he had to work later than usual, but this gave her enough time to cook him dinner when he came back over to her apartment.


	39. Chapter 39:Someday

Sylvie was watching on the kids while Antonio was working the late shift. He was working on a big case so Sylvie figured she could help him with the kids. Although it was more like keeping them company than anything since they were old enough to take care of themselves.

"What do you guys want for dinner?" Sylvie asked.

"We could just order in?" Eva suggested. "Pizza, fries, wings and soda."

"I knew I liked you for a reason." Sylvie said, smiling at her boyfriend's daughter. She picked up her phone ready to order the food. "That's all you guys want?" She questioned as she looked at Eva and Diego and they both nodded their heads.

Sylvie wouldn't have minded cooking for them, it wouldn't have been her first time, but she just wanted to spend as much time with them possible and cooking usually took a long time. It amazed her how close she was to Antonio's children but she loved it.

"You know, you don't have to stay here with us." Eva said as Sylvie hung up the phone.

"What, you want me to leave?" Sylvie asked, teasingly.

"No! I'm sorry if it came out that way." Eva said apologizing. "I just mean if you're only here to babysit us, you don't have to."

"Oh no, it's okay." Sylvie said, shaking her head. "I like spending time with you guys. Besides, you are both a little too old to babysit anyway." She pointed out which made Eva laughed.

"True." She nodded her head, agreeing with Sylvie. "So, my dad didn't send you over here then?"

"No. He doesn't even know I'm here." He text her earlier complaining that he was working a late shift but the kids were at his place. Normally he didn't mind working long, but she knew it was because of his kids home alone. He even comment about he felt like he was pulling a Laura on them. However, Sylvie made him feel better, letting him know that Laura chose to not spend time with them, Antonio was working, and she knew the kids wouldn't hold that against him.

The next few hours, Sylvie spent time with the kids as they ate the food and watched movies. Even Diego was starting to interact with Sylvie more, which pleased her.

As it was getting later, Diego went into his room, probably to play his chess game on his phone, while her and Eva were in the living room just talking.

"Thank you for coming over tonight. I'm sure you would have loved to stay at your apartment and slept the whole day." Eva said, smiling.

"Oh please, that would have been boring for me." She looked at Eva, studying her face. "How has everything been with your mom and her boyfriend?" She questioned.

Eva shrugged her shoulders. "Let's just say if I could move in here, I would."

"I'm sorry, sweetie. Your dad would love it if you guys could move in here, but he doesn't want to risk losing you forever." They talked about this before, but Antonio knew if he tested Laura right now, he could lose since the judge always favors the mothers.

"I know." She sighed. "It sucks because I feel like I'm old enough to decide where I want to live." Eva then thought of something. "You know, what will make me feel better? Make me happy forever?" Eva questioned, smiling.

"What?" Sylvie asked, confused.

"If you marry my dad."

Sylvie laughed, shaking her head. "That's not the way it works, honey. Your dad has to ask me."

"Would you say yes?" Eva probed.

Sylvie laughed. "Whenever he asks, yes. But right now, although our relationship is strong and I don't see that changing, we aren't discussing marriage." Sylvie smiled at her boyfriend's daughter. She thought it was sweet that she wanted them to get married already.

"I know." She nodded her head. "But maybe someday?"

"Of course."

Before they could talk anymore, Sylvie heard the front door unlocking and Antonio walking in the apartment.

"I'm tired. So, I'm going to bed." She stood up and she walked over to Antonio. "Goodnight, dad." She said as she leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"Sorry, sweetie." He called out after all, but she shook her head. He was wondering why she wasn't mad at him but then his eyes went over to the couch and he saw Sylvie.

"This is why you're the best girlfriend in the world. I didn't even have to ask you to come over." He said as he took off his jacket and hung it in the closet.

"Well, your kids needed to eat and I was off from work, so–" Her voice trailed off when she saw the way he was looking at her. "What?"

Antonio shrugged his shoulders as he walked over to her. "I just don't know why I question this relationship—you, in the beginning." He said as he leaned in and gave her a kiss.

After a few minutes, she pulled away from the kiss and placed her hand on his face. "The most important thing is that we're together now." She looked around the room and then she looked back at him. "There is leftover pizza, and wings if you want some."

Antonio shook his head. "I grabbed something an hour ago before we closed the case. So I'm fine. I just really want to go to bed and hold you in my arms."

"Sounds perfect." Sylvie said, smiling as she headed towards his room.

"You're perfect." Antonio said, following behind her.


	40. Chapter 40: What Matters

"Who the hell is that?" Sylvie groaned as she heard banging on Antonio's door. She looked over at the clock and saw that it was around 7 in the morning.

"I don't hear anything." Antonio lied. He did, but whoever it was should have called first. Then his thoughts went to his kids. It was the weekday, so maybe they stopped by before they headed to school.

"Antonio, please." She pleaded. She had off today and the last thing she wanted was to wake up early in the morning. Since they both had off today, their plans consisted of staying in bed all day and only getting out to make food or go to the bathroom. That was it.

"Fine, fine." He conceded. He stood up from the bed and rubbed his eyes. He slipped on his sweatpants and then he pulled his shirt on.

"And Antonio?" She called out to him before he left the bedroom.

"Hmm?" He asked in a sleepily tone.

"Unless it's your kids, get rid of them fast. Remember our plans for the day." She reminded him.

"I know, baby." He smiled as he walked out of the bedroom. Sylvie pulled the covers over her head as she tried to fall back to sleep.

The knocking kept persisting and he sighed. If he was more wide awake, he would realized his kids had keys to his apartment and would help themselves in.

"Hold on, I'm coming!" He said as he walked over to the door and he opened the door.

"Laura?" He asked confused. "Are the kids okay?" He asked, since that was the only logical reason why she would be stopping by so early.

"Oh, they're fine." She reassured him. "I—I–maybe I shouldn't have came."

Antonio could sense something was wrong, and although it wasn't his business or even his problem, the guy he was, he couldn't let her leave upset. She came here for a reason.

"You want to come in?" Antonio offered.

Laura nodded her head as she walked into the apartment. "I'm sorry for waking you." She apologized.

Antonio nodded his head as he watched her walked over to the couch and sit down. He took a deep breath as he walked over to the couch but didn't sit down right away, wondering what was going on.

Laura could tell that Antonio was confused so she started explaining why she was here. "I know I have been an awful mother these past few months. I guess the divorce was harder on me then I thought. So, when I got with him–you know, maybe a part of me was enjoying the free time away from the kids. It sounds awful, I know. Like I'm the worst mother in the world. I love Eva and Diego more than anything in the world, but when we divorced, I wasn't focus on my feelings, I was focused on theirs. I had to make sure they were okay at all times. It felt nice to finally have me time." She reached up to wipe a tear from her eye.

Antonio took a deep breath and he sat down next to her. "The divorce was hard on me too. And I never said you were a bad mother. I just hated that there were times they were left alone. You want a break for a week? Let me know. You just made it seem like you didn't need nor wanted the help."

"I was just hurting from the divorce." She explained.

"Well, it all worked out for the best. You couldn't handle my job, and now you're with someone that spoils you and—" Before he could mention Sylvie, Laura interrupted him.

"Actually, we broke up." Laura revealed.

"I'm sorry, Laura. What happened?" He asked, but honestly he felt like this was a little too weird to ask.

"Just realized we both enjoyed different things. As much fun as we were having, it was just a fling." She let out a breath as she was about to put her feelings out there. She placed her hand on his thigh. "I miss us, Antonio. I know it was my fault we divorced. And maybe we can start being a family again." She asked with a hopeful look in her eyes.

By this time, Sylvie was in the bedroom and she knew it was Laura in the living room. Honestly, she didn't want to go out there and make her appearance be known, but she was eavesdropping and she heard what Laura said to Antonio. Hell no. Antonio may have been her husband once before, but now he was Sylvie's boyfriend.

She stood up from the bed and she slipped her tank top over her head. She didn't want to meet Antonio's ex-wife looking like this. She changed from her short shorts to pajamas pants. She wished she had a normal shirt but walking out in Antonio's shirt didn't seem quite as better.

As she opened the door, she could see Antonio's face but couldn't see hers. Antonio's eyes locked on hers and he stood up.

"Um, Laura." He said as he walked over to Sylvie. "This is my girlfriend, Sylvie." He introduced the two women. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she didn't know anything about this, which confused him. "The kids didn't tell you?" He questioned.

Laura shook her head. "No. But in their defense, they hate me right now."

Sylvie could tell she was hurting and she felt for her, she did. But at the same time, she had to defend her relationship with Antonio. Before she could say anything, Antonio took her hand. "The kids don't hate you. They need their mother just like they need me. I'm sorry that things didn't work out with your boyfriend, I am. But you know why we would never work. We couldn't work back then, and we definitely can't work now." He said looking over at Sylvie so Laura knew how serious he was about Sylvie. He let go of Sylvie's hand as he walked over to Laura.

"Like I said earlier, you need a week break, call me. Even if you just need a small break or anything. If I'm working, Sylvie can do it."

"Thank you guys, really." Laura said.

But Sylvie could tell that Laura was either annoyed by her presence or jealous, probably both. Only because Sylvie was feeling the same way.

Laura walked over to the door and she opened it. "I'll talk to you later then." She said as she walked out and closed the door behind her.

"Thank you." Antonio said as he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"For what?" She asked confused.

"Not coming out in the living room and acting like a jealous girlfriend. For allowing me to talk calmly to her." He explained.

"Well, in her eyes, I did come out like a jealous girlfriend. Women know when other women are taking a claim on their boyfriend." She wasn't the jealous girlfriend, never played that role before in her life. But then again she never loved anyone the way she loved Antonio.

"You handled it a lot better than I would have." He confessed as he placed a kiss on her cheek. "If it was your ex-fiance saying what Laura said, I would have laid him out on the floor."

"Oh, I know you would have." She laughed. "It's an advantage and disadvantage of dating a badass detective." She smiled at him but then her expression turned serious. "What if she does want you back? I mean you share kids with her. I just don't know how I can stand in the way of that." She said as she pulled away from her and walked over to the couch.

"Hey." He said walking after her. "I'm not in love with Laura anymore. She isn't in love with me either. She's just hurting. And I'm sorry, but with Eva's mouth, she knew about you."

"So what, you think she lied about that?" She asked.

"I don't know. And honestly, I don't care. She isn't breaking us up. No one is, okay?"

Sylvie nodded her head, knowing she was being silly. Antonio wasn't in love with Laura, he was an honest man, so she knew if he was, he wouldn't have started a relationship with her.

"Besides, this is our day. Tomorrow we both go back to work. Do you really want to spend the day stressing over things that doesn't matter?" He asked as he walked over to her and took her hand.

"No. You're right." She said, a smile forming on her lips. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm just protective over you, over us, more than I realize."

"You never have to apologize for that, baby. Ever. I'm protective of you and us too." He said as he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.

"Go lock the door and meet me in the bedroom." She said in between the kisses.

He nodded his head and he pulled away from the kiss a few seconds later.


	41. Chapter 41: Sparks Fly

**A/N Not really filled with Brettonio but a story about Eva and Sylvie :) Enjoy!**

"We'll see you guys soon, okay?" Antonio said as he walked over to Sylvie and he leaned down, pressing a kiss to her head. "Eva should wake up soon." Since it was the weekend, Eva took advantage of that and slept in pretty late.

"That's fine." She said with a smile. "It's her day off from school, she can sleep in however long she wants. Have fun guys!" Diego and Antonio were off having a boys day since Antonio confessed to her a few days prior that he felt like he wasn't connecting to Diego anymore. Sylvie mentioned that she would watch Eva while he went out with Diego. Truth be told however, she loved spending time with Eva.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Sylvie stood up from the couch and she walked in the kitchen. It was 11:30 am and when Eva woke up, Sylvie wanted her to have lunch on the table.

About 30 minutes later, Sylvie was almost done with lunch when she heard Eva coming out of the bedroom and walking in the kitchen. "I feel fat because I was in a deep sleep, and the smell of the food woke me up and I really wanted it." She said with a laugh as she sat down at the table.

"I'm sorry, sweetie, I didn't mean to wake you up. I just wanted you to have something to eat when you woke up." Sylvie said as she reached over and turned off the stove.

"That's sweet, thank you, Sylvie." Eva smiled at her as she stood up. "What did you make?" She questioned.

"While I'm not the greatest cook like your aunt Gabby, I still know how to cook. I made Chicken, Broccoli, and pasta skillet casserole." Sylvie smiled.

"It smells good." Eva said as she walked over to the stove and looked inside. "And looks delicious. Thank you." Sylvie handed her a bowl and she filled it up. After Eva was done, Sylvie filled up a bowl and sat down across the table from her.

"Where's dad and Diego?" Eva asked as she swirled her spoon around the bowl and began to eat.

"They went out for a boys' day out." Sylvie said as she began eating.

Eva nodded her head and she smiled at her. They sat in silence as they finished eating, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence so Sylvie was pleased with that.

As soon as they were done, Eva stood up. "Since you cooked, I'll do the dishes. It isn't many anyway."

"Let's do it together." Sylvie said as she stood up and placed her bowl in the sink. "You can rinse and I'll dry." She suggested.

"Okay, that sounds like a plan." Eva smiled at Sylvie. "This is nice. While they are having a boys' day, we are having a girls' day."

"I was hoping you would look at it like that." Sylvie said as Eva began rinsing the bowl and then handing it to Sylvie so she could dried it. "So, anything going on in your life?" Sylvie questioned.

"This stays between us, right?" Eva knew she could trust Sylvie, but she was also dating her father, so at times she wasn't sure what she could say.

"As long as you're not in trouble, it stays between us." Sylvie said, wanting Eva to know she couldn't keep everything from Antonio. Some things, like crushes, and stuff like that she could.

"I'm not, trust me." Eva wanted Sylvie to know that she would never be the reason her and Antonio would get into an argument. She actually liked Sylvie and didn't want her and Antonio breaking up. "Last night I was on the phone with this guy like all night." Eva said with a huge smile.

Sylvie laughed, shaking her head at her boyfriend's daughter. Ah, young love, it was really precious. "Tell me about this boy!" She was happy she could be this person for Eva, knowing Laura wasn't around for her as much as she should have been. It must have been hard for Eva, but she didn't say much about it to Sylvie.

"He's in my math class. At first I wasn't giving him the time of day because I wasn't really interested. Not that he isn't cute, because he is! I was just focusing on my grades in that class. But you know how it is, without realizing it, you just grow closer to that person." Eva said.

"Oh, I know how that is. It's what happened between me and your father. Although I was the one that chased after him." Sylvie smiled at the memory. It felt so long ago, when it was only a few months ago. She and Antonio came such a long way.

"So, he wasn't interested?" Eva asked as she handed her the last dish and watched as Sylvie dried it off.

"Oh, he was. He was just worried about you kids, and worried that he was only going to bring me problems." She said, referring to Laura.

"Do you regret it?" Eva asked as she turned off the sink and dried her hands off.

"No. I love your father and I love you kids. I'm happy, more happy than I ever been in my life." Sylvie said as she put the last dish away and smiled at Eva.

"He's happy too. It's kind of gross." Eva said, laughing.

Sylvie laughed, shaking her head as she walked in the living room. She watched as Eva walked over to the stereo and turned it on.

" Since the boys aren't here, we can turn it up as loud as we want, and we can dance!" Eva said with a smile.

"I do love dancing!" Sylvie said as Eva picked a song to dance to.

"Oh, I love this song!" Eva exclaimed as the song she stopped to was 'Sparks Fly' by Taylor Swift.

"Gotta love Taylor." Sylvie said with a laugh.

The way you move is like a full on rainstorm

And I'm a house of cards

You're the kind of reckless that should send me running

But I kinda know that I won't get far

Sylvie and Eva were dancing to the music as they got lost in it. Eva grabbed a hold of Sylvie's hands as they danced their hips to the beat of the music. They were singing loudly, which Eva realized Sylvie had an amazing voice. She made a note to compliment Sylvie later.

And you stood there in front of me just

Close enough to touch

Close enough to hope you couldn't see

What I was thinking of

Sylvie was having fun dancing with Eva. They were lost in the music that they didn't hear the front door opening and Diego and Antonio smirking at the scene in front of them.

Antonio cleared his throat which caused them to stopped in their tracks. Eva let go of Sylvie's hands and she ran over, turning off the stereo. There was sweat pouring off of them both, even though they weren't dancing for long.

"Um, yeah." Eva said, laughing, embarrassed.

"How long were you guys standing there?" Sylvie questioned.

"Long enough." Diego said with a smirked. "Too bad I didn't record you guys singing and dancing. Would have gotten at least 100 views."

"You mean, 1,000 views." Eva scoffed. "Especially with Sylvie's voice."

Sylvie was trying to avoid Antonio's gazed so she was thankful the kids were teasing each other. With Eva's comment, her face turned red. "No one wants to hear my voice."

They were interrupted by Eva's phone ringing, and Eva couldn't help but smile knowing that could be her crush, or her boyfriend? She forgot to ask her that. Eva ran into her room, wanting privacy. A few seconds later, Diego went into his room, probably to play on his phone.

Since Antonio entered the apartment, she locked eyes with him. In an instant, she regretted it because of the look in his eyes. She shook her head. "Antonio, stop." She whispered so the kids didn't hear her.

"What? I didn't say anything." He said, defensively. He walked over to her, closing the distance between them. He leaned down and he whispered in her ear. "But how come you don't dance like that for me?" He asked with a hint of a smile.

"You never asked." She said, teasingly. She pushed him away from her. "Don't start something you can't finish."

"Later, I can. Once the kids go home." He smiled as he leaned forward and kissed her lips.

Once he pulled away, he smiled at her. "I'm just happy that you and Eva had a great day together. I was worried." He confessed.

"We did have a great day. Did you and Diego have a great day also?" She questioned.

"Yes, we did. Thank you for the suggestion, baby."

"Always happy to help." She smiled as she gave him a quick kiss, they spent the rest of the day with the kids before Antonio dropped them back at Laura's for school tomorrow.


	42. Chapter 42: Girls Night Out

As Sylvie was heading out of the firehouse to go home and sleep, Stella stopped her. "Are you still coming to Molly's tonight?" She questioned.

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "Yes. It feels like I haven't been to Molly's in a few weeks so I'd stop by."

"We all know why you haven't." Stella teased.

Gabby groaned as she was walking to the car with Matt. "Please not this again." She loved seeing her friend and brother happy, but she could do without discussing their sex lives.

"We'll talk later." Stella said as she winked at Sylvie.

"I rather not." Sylvie said, laughing. "I'll see you guys later."

Since Antonio was working today, Sylvie went to her apartment and slept for a few hours. They didn't have plans to see each other later since Sylvie was going out with Gabby and Stella. She was happy Antonio trusted her because when she was with Harrison, he never let her have a life outside of their relationship. He always had to follow along wherever she went.

She woke up around 2 to the ringing of her phone. She sighed, kicking herself in the ass for not putting it on silent. She reached over, ready to tell off the person who decided to call her knowing she was sleeping. Her face broke out in a smile seeing that it was her boyfriend.

She answered her phone as she laid back on the bed. "Hey." She said into the phone, yawning.

"Shit, sorry baby. I'll let you go back to sleep." He said as he heard her sleepily voice.

"No, it's fine." She smiled softly. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes. I just wanted to tell you to have a good night tonight."

She smiled as she sat up on the bed. "Well, aren't you sweet?"

"I try to be." He said teasingly. "I also wanted to let you know that if you need a ride home, give me a call."

"Do I need to be drunk to be able to call?" She asked.

Antonio laughed, shaking his head. "Of course not. Perks of being my girl."

Sylvie smiled, she loved when he called her that. It wasn't often, but when he did, it made her heart melt. "Don't talk like that before I call Stella and cancel." She said, jokingly.

"And I have no problem with that. But you deserve to have some fun. So, if I don't see you tonight, I'll see you tomorrow?" He questioned.

"Of course. Be careful." She said, referring to the fact that he was still at work.

"Always. You be careful too." He said before hanging up the phone.

Sylvie smiled as she placed down her phone with a smile on her face.

—

A few hours later, she heard a car horn from inside her apartment. She smiled as she slipped on her coat and picked up her purse.

She walked out of her apartment, locking her door and then she walked out of her apartment building. She smiled as she saw Gabby heading over to her. "Honestly, I thought you were going to call coming up with some lame excuse to stay home with Antonio."

Sylvie laughed. "Is that what you did in the beginning of your relationship with Matt?" She questioned as she got in the backseat and buckled her seatbelt.

"Well yes. It's normal." Gabby said as she cut her eyes at Stella. "And don't tell me if you were with Kelly still, you wouldn't have done that. It's what every woman in the world would do." Gabby said defensively.

"That is true." Stella said as she started her car and drove off.

"I'm not going to lie, I was close on doing it. But I never wanted to be that type of girl, to cancel my plans with my friends to hang with my boyfriend." Sylvie said honestly.

"But could we really blame you?" Stella questioned. "Between you and Antonio's schedule, it must get pretty frustrating not being able to always see each other."

"It can." Sylvie said, nodding her head. "But we're making it work." She looked out the window as Molly's came into view. It felt like she hadn't been in there in so long.

As Stella parked her car and turned it off, Gabby got out of the car and then Sylvie got out.

"So cold." Sylvie complained. She hated the cold and couldn't wait until warmer weather came.

"Let's get inside then, silly!" Stella said, pulling Gabby and Sylvie inside Molly's.

It was a peaceful night at Molly's and Sylvie was grateful for that. Although she knew if she needed a ride home, Antonio would come get her, since he offered, but she wasn't planning on drinking much. She just wanted to have a fun night with her girls.

"There are my girls!" Herrmann said with a smile. "The usual for you girls?" He questioned.

"You know it." Stella said, smiling. Once Herrmann filled up three glasses, they picked it up.

"Thanks, Herrmann!" They said to him as they walked over to a table and sat down.

"So, how is everything Gabby?" Sylvie asked. That was one of the reasons why she came out tonight with them, to take Gabby's mind off of everything that was going on.

"As good as can be expected." She confessed. "I think the most important thing is that me and Matt can lean on each other."

"Yes, just don't push each other away." Stella advised.

"Matt doesn't have a history of doing that, I do. But I think we'll be okay."

"Of course you guys will be." Sylvie said with a smile. "You're Gabriela and Matt. You'll be fine."

Gabby laughed, shaking her head. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Anytime." Sylvie laughed. "Are you still changing your last name to Casey?" She questioned.

Gabby nodded her head. "Yes, because although we lost Louie, marriage was the next logical step for us anyway. It wasn't like we were only together for Louie's sake. Now that we're married, there is no way I can ever go back to truck. So, it won't be confusing." She explained.

"Yay. So this means I won't lose you as a partner." Sylvie's face broke out in a wide grin.

"Nope. I loved being a firefighter, I really did. But being a paramedic is where I'm supposed to be at right now."

"Sucks because I was so happy coming to a firehouse that already had a woman firefighter, then she leaves." Stella said, pouting. "Now I'm stuck with a bunch of men that acts like children."

Sylvie and Gabby laughed at Stella's comment. It was true, as much as she loved the men at the firehouse, most of them acted like children.

"Sorry." Gabby said, apologizing.

"So, how are you and Antonio?" Stella questioned.

Sylvie's eyes immediately went to Gabby, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable.

"Hey, as long as you don't talk about—sex" she made a face. "With my brother, it's fine."

Sylvie laughed. "I promise that won't happen." She promised. "But we're good. Better than good actually. It's scary." She confessed.

"All I can say is that I haven't seen my brother this happy in a while." Gabby smiled at Sylvie.

"I honestly don't think I ever been this happy." She admitted. "With Harrison, he would have never let me out of the house to come here. It would have turned into a big fight. And with Cruz–" She said, lowering her voice. "I was happy with him, but I wasn't—" She shook her head. "happy. I know it doesn't make sense, but what I have with Antonio, it's different."

"Oh my god." Stella gasped. "You're in love with him."

"Shh!" Sylvie said, looking around the bar in embarrassment. "And I'm—I'm not sure if it's love."

"It's love." Stella and Gabby said at the same time.

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "I guess if I'm being honest with myself, it is love. But I want this to last, so I'm not going to rush things."

Gabby nodded her head. "When you feel like it's the right time, then tell him."

Sylvie nodded her head. "Come on, this is supposed to be a girls night out, we shouldn't be discussing our love lives!" Sylvie said with a smile.

"Right!" Stella said. "We're always talking about guys, let's have some fun!"

Their fun ended up with them ended up at Stella's apartment, crashing there for the night. They weren't drunk when they left, but by the end of the night, they certainly were. However, it was fun and Sylvie was grateful that she came, she missed her girls.


	43. Chapter 43: Don't Give Up

**A/N This is a story after Brettonio's breakup.**

"I understand what you're trying to do, Gabby, but I'm fine. It's been a few weeks, I'm over it." She lied, but enough was enough already. Whenever she was working, no one left her alone. They wanted to make sure that she was okay. The only time she got a moments peace at work was when they were on a call, and it wasn't even peaceful.

And forget about when she had off. Gabby would call her as soon as she woke up, sometimes even waking her up in the process. And then for the rest of the day, she would spend time with Sylvie. She loved Gabby, she did, but she needed time to herself.

"You know, when me and Matt broke up for a little there, you helped me out a lot." She reminded Sylvie.

"I was trying to set you up with someone else." It wasn't one of Sylvie's prouder moments. She was new to Chicago, and she was happy that she had a friend in Gabby. Although she was dating Cruz, she felt alone, so she felt like doing that for Gabby would gain a friend.

"Yes." Gabby said, remembering that clearly. "But after I told you that I needed a friend, you became that friend, and honestly you never stopped."

"You are more than welcome to stop by my apartment, but I just feel like staying in tonight." Because Gabby was married to the most supportive man, he was sharing Gabby with Sylvie. But, they were still newlyweds, she didn't mind being alone at times. "Spend time with your husband, he probably misses you."

"You'll call me if you need me, right?" Gabby asked as she headed over to her car.

"Of course." Sylvie promised. "Right now, I just want to go home and take a long hot bath and sleep." She smiled at her plans.

"Okay. Call me later." She said as she opened her car door. She looked behind her as Matt ran up to Gabby apologizing. "Sorry, Chief needed the paper work before we headed home." He looked over at Sylvie. "Are you coming over later?" He questioned.

"No." She shook her head, smiling at him. "Tonight, you can keep your wife to yourself."

"She's ditching us." Gabby said, jokingly.

Sylvie laughed as she unlocked her car door. "I'll see you guys later." She said as she placed her paramedic bag in the passenger seat as she stepped inside her car.

—

"What are you doing?!" Gabby hissed at her brother.

"What are you talking about, sis? I'm just boxing." He said, defensively. Ever since his break up with Sylvie, all he's been doing is working and boxing. He wanted to spend time with the kids, but ever since Laura snapped about Sylvie having Diego, she was being a bitch. His life all around sucked at the moment and boxing helped him.

"Exactly. You're just boxing. You aren't fighting for Sylvie." Gabby took a deep breath as she looked at her brother. "Listen, I understand you have to thread lightly with Laura because of the kids, however, you were happy with Sylvie."

Antonio shook his head. "Gabby, no. We both wanted this, we're fine." He reassured her. "So please, let it go."

Gabby nodded her head. "You're grown, so I can't talk you out of doing anything you'd regret."

"Wait a minute—weren't you the one who told Sylvie that it was too soon for us anyway?" He questioned. "And if I'm mistaken, you weren't happy with our relationship from the start."

"I never had a problem with your relationship with Sylvie. But seeing my friend and brother flirt? It was uncomfortable. And then seeing your hands all over each other, it was turning my stomach. But I've seen how happy you were, and that made me happy."

"Just let it go, we're both adults." Antonio was done discussing this. And Gabby realized that, so she just shut her mouth and went on to a different topic.

—-

For the the first time since the break up, she was alone. Sure, Gabby said to call her when she needed her, but she needed to deal with the pain on her own. She wanted so badly to hate Antonio for causing her pain, but at the same time how could she hurt a man she was in love with?

She sighed, they hadn't said the words yet, and she wasn't even sure if he felt it. But she sure did. Who couldn't fall in love with Antonio? She couldn't help but blame this all on her. He apologized for the way Laura treated her, and instead of accepting it, she yelled at him? No wonder why he ran away from her. The last thing he needed was more stressed placed on him.

As she was watching a romantic movie and sighing, while eating ice cream she heard a knocked on her door. As much as she wanted it to be Antonio, she knew it wouldn't be. It was pretty clear that he felt like they needed a break.

Sylvie wiped the tears from her eyes and she stood up, placing the ice cream on the table in front of her. She walked over to her door and answered it, seeing Kelly standing there.

She was surprised to see him. Sure, she considered him to be family, but they also weren't close outside of work.

"Hey." He said, giving her a smile. "Just checking in."

"Hi." She said as she opened her door wider, letting him in. "That's sweet of you, but I'm fine." She reassured him but then she looked at him suspiciously. "Did Gabby send you?" She questioned.

He looked at her confused but then he shook his head. "What? No. I felt like I was being insensitive when you and Antonio broke up. So, this is my peace offering." He said as he reached in his pocket and took out a candy bar.

Sylvie laughed. It was the first real laugh in weeks. "What? Do you just carry candy bars in your pocket?" She questioned, clearly amused.

"No. But I wasn't sure if you would let me in, and if I came walking in with a candy bar in my hands, I wouldn't have had a chance to apologize." He said, jokingly. "So, here. It's Fresh, I promise."

Sylvie smiled and she took the candy bar from him. "Thank you." She said, sincerely.

"So, how are you really doing?" He asked.

"Breaks up are hard, but I'll be fine." She replied as she walked over to the couch and sat down.

He walked over to her and noticed the ice cream on the table. "At least you're dealing with the effects of the break up."

"Yeah." She said, sadly. "I just wish someone would have knocked me upside the side, thinking I could make a relationship work with a single father that has a crazy ex-wife."

"My question is–why did you let her get to you?" He questioned. "You do realize this is what she wanted?"

"What was I supposed to do? Let her talk to me any way she wanted?"

"No, of course not. But it wasn't about you. She just wanted to make Antonio mad." He took a deep breath. "But this also isn't my place to say anything. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Thank you for that." Sylvie said with a smile.

"Can I just give you one piece of advice?" He questioned. When she nodded her head, he continued. "I had plenty of failed relationships, and most of them could have gotten fixed if we both weren't so stubborn. All I'm saying is, don't let his ex-wife or his problems in that area be the reason why you're sitting in your apartment eating ice cream. We all live a life that can be taken away from us tomorrow, do you want this to be your last night, moping and crying over something that can be fixed?"

Sylvie sat in silence, taking in his words. After a few minutes, she opened her mouth. "But he wanted the break up."

"Did he really? Or did he want to save you the headache?" He questioned as he stood up. "Look at me, I was finally ready to accept love in my life, and I lost it. Don't lose it."

"You really have grown up, Kelly." Sylvie said with a smile. "Thank you for this."

Kelly nodded his head. "Anytime. We're family, you already know that."

As soon as Kelly left, she closed the door behind him and she walked off to her room, getting dressed. She wasn't sure where Antonio would be tonight, and maybe this was a stupid plan, but she missed Antonio. What sense was it to be hurting for no reason?

Although it was freezing in Chicago, she still managed to put on a dress. She wanted to look her absolute best so that it would be hard for Antonio to turn her down. She placed curls in her hair as she headed in her living room. She slipped on her coat and picked up her purse as she headed towards her door. As she opened the door, she almost bumped straight into Antonio.

"Oh—" She said as she stopped in her tracks and looked up at him. "What are you doing here?" She questioned.

"I–uh–" His voice trailed off as he noticed her outfit. "Hot date?" He asked, trying to hide the fact that even thinking about it made him jealous.

"Uh, no." Then she thought about using Gabby, sorry Gab, she thought to herself. "Girls night out." She lied, hoping he wouldn't catch her in a lie.

But he seemed to buy it because his facial expression relaxed. "Do you have a minute?" He questioned.

This could be bad or good news, but seeing as how she was on her way to see him, she had nowhere to go now. She nodded her head and stepped back into her apartment.

Sylvie slipped off her coat and placed her purse on the table.

"You do look amazing to go out for girls night out." He said, and Sylvie could see his eyes darkening. No, they had to fix this, if they could.

"Antonio." She warned, trying to get him back on topic. She was happy that he came to her first, right now she had the control, she had the power.

Antonio forgot for a minute on why he was here, but looking in her eyes, he could see the pain. It mirrored his own. If he didn't have his job and boxing, he would sure enough go insane. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"What?" Sylvie said. She heard him, but he came all the way to her apartment to say sorry? Didn't they already go through this?

"I'm sorry." He said, this time louder. "I shouldn't have said any of those things I said. I'm just not good at keeping my temper in check." He took a deep breath. "I also should have warned you about Laura coming to the firehouse. I know this isn't what you wanted, with Laura and the kids."

"No, I'm sorry. You can't control what Laura does or says. I just think in my own way, I overreacted. Usually I'm not that kind of woman, but I also was never involved with a situation like this. I think we could have all handled that better."

"We could have." He agreed. "It was just a stupid fight, wasn't it?" He questioned as he stepped closer to her.

"It was but–" She watched as his facial expression turned to sadness when she said but. "You really hurt me. I can take fights, I can take arguments, but you giving up on us entirely isn't something I can handle again."

"You gave up on me too. You let me walked away." He pointed out.

"I wasn't going to beg someone to be with me if they aren't ready."

He sighed at her words. "I am ready." He said as he walked closer to her. "You just have to understand this is new for me too. You're the first woman I introduced my kids to. You're the first woman that I even considered taking this chance with. And–" He took a deep breath, getting enough courage to say the last words. "And you're the first woman–" He began as he closed to distance between them and grabbed her hands. "That I fell in love with."

If he wasn't holding onto her hands, she would have lost her balance. Hearing his words, she felt like she couldn't breathe, that the wind got knocked out of her. This only happened to her when he broke up with her. But this time it was different, it was better.

After a few seconds of silence, Sylvie couldn't let that break her down. Even though it was her plan to see Antonio, now that he was here, she couldn't forget the pain he caused her. "No." She said, taking her hands away from his. "You can't do this." She said, frustrated. "You hurt me. I understand I wasn't innocent in this, but seeing you walk away from me, it killed me."

"It killed me too." Antonio admitted. "I was hurting too, Sylvie. All I was doing the entire time we were broken up was working and boxing. When all I wanted to do was come over here and fix things with you."

Sylvie could see the pain in his eyes, and she felt guilty because she wasn't even thinking of his feelings.

"Then fix it."

"Will you allow me to fix it? I promise for the rest of my life, I will be fixing this mistake. I don't want us to break up after every little fight we have."

"We won't." She promised. "The first fights are always the hardest."

"So, are we good?" He questioned.

Sylvie nodded her head as she leaned in and kissed him. Since it has been a few weeks of their break up, it was no surprise that the kissed deepened in no time, both needing to feel each others lips again.

Antonio was the one who pulled away from the kiss and Sylvie sighed. She looked at him confused when he looked down at her dress. "Aren't you supposed to meet my sister?" He questioned.

"Oh, yeah. About that, I lied." She said with a smile, forgetting that he thought earlier she had a date.

He pulled away from her abruptly. "So, then where were you headed?" He questioned, his face hardening.

"I rather not say." She said as she bit down on her lip.

"Sylvie." He said in a warning tone.

"Antonio, I'm not one of your criminals, you're trying to interrogate."

"Sylvie." He repeated in the same tone.

"I was actually going to your–um apartment." Sylvie said, embarrassed.

"This is why we belong together!" He said, his face breaking out in a smile.

"Now you think we do." She said, jokingly.

Antonio stepped closer to her, shaking his head. "I always knew we did. Maybe not when we first met, but that ride on the ambulance, I definitely did."

Sylvie smiled as she gripped his jacket, pulling him closer to her. "Uh huh." She said as she inched her face closer to his. "Oh, and I love you too."

"Do you now?" He questioned as he closed the distance between them, crashing his lips against hers.

Their relationship wasn't perfect and it never would be, but at least this time they were willing to fight for each other.


	44. Chapter 44: Belong With Me

**A/N Another story after their breakup. Enjoy!**

Sylvie desperately wanted to stay for Gabby and Matt's reception, stay until the entire thing was over, but she couldn't stand to be in Molly's when Antonio was. It wasn't that she was mad at him, she wasn't. She was in over her head, this was her fault. However, every time she glanced over at him, she saw him staring at her also.

She couldn't help but think of how happy they were before Laura ruined everything. Damn her. Why couldn't Antonio see how much this was killing her?

Yeah, she needed to get out of here, get away from him. Maybe soon they could be in the same room together, but right now it was too soon.

She picked up her purse and she stormed out of Molly's, her breath getting stuck in her throat as hot tears poured down her cheeks. This hurt too much. She leaned against the wall as she tried to control her breathing.

"Pull it together, Sylvie." She harshly whispered, feeling stupid. She didn't care about crying at her apartment, but not here. Just as she was trying to composed herself, she heard the door opened, she quickly wiped the tears.

She didn't think she would get caught as she was on the side of Molly's, but this person was walking that way. "Oh shit!" Matt jumped back, seeing Sylvie. "What are—" noticing the puffy of her eyes and the red on her nose, his face grew full of concerned. "Are you okay?" He questioned.

"Oh yeah." She said, forcing a smile on her face. "Can you just tell Gabby I'll see you later?"

"Sure." He said, nodding his head. He watched as she turned to walked away and he grabbed her arm slightly. "Hey, for what's it worth, you'll be okay. You have a family behind you."

"Thank you." She took out her keys and headed towards her car. She appreciated Matt being sweet, but she was alone. Everyone loved Antonio and considered him to be family too, so they couldn't very well be objective.

As soon as she made it to her apartment and walked inside, something felt different. Maybe it was her, but this didn't feel like her home anymore. If she was being honest with herself, Chicago didn't feel like her home anymore. She moved from Indiana to have a better happier life, and all Chicago gave her was pain. Pain that she never deserved.

She walked into her bedroom and she took off her jacket and boots as she laid in bed. For what felt like 2 hours, she let the tears out. She must have been in her own whole while crying because before she knew it, she heard Gabby's voice. "Sylvie, we're here."

Sylvie looked up when Gabby said 'we.' She wasn't sure why she thought she would bring Matt, but sometimes the girl didn't think. But luckily it was Stella.

She wiped the tears away, shaking her head. "I'm fine, guys. Really."

"Does she look fine to you, Gabby?" Stella questioned.

"No, not at all." Gabby said as they walked over to Sylvie and wrapped her in a hug.

"Guys!" She exclaimed. "I can't breathe." She complained as they were wrapped in a hug like a sandwich.

"Our love is suffocating you, huh?" Stella said teasingly.

Sylvie laughed, shaking her head. "You're so silly."

Gabby looked at Sylvie with a sad look on her face. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

Sylvie sighed as she stood up from the bed and started pacing. "Not right now, I will be. I don't know, maybe I should have told him that I didn't want to take a break, that he was wrong. But was he?" She was rambling and she knew she was.

Stella stood up and grabbed her arm to stop her from pacing. "Only time can tell, sweetie. Maybe the break will be good for you guys."

"We were just so good together." She groaned.

"Oh yeah?" Stella questioned. "The sex, huh?"

Sylvie's eyes widened and she smacked Stella on the arm. "No!" She laughed. "I just mean the relationship in general."

"Okay, let's talk about something else before Stella questions the sex though. Remember guys, this is my brother." Gabby looked over at Sylvie. "So, why didn't you tell me about this before you came home crying to yourself?" She questioned.

"Because this is your night, Gabby. With the crap you have been dealing with, you deserve a night of happiness. You don't need my drama. Besides, this is your brother, you can't be objective." She pointed out.

"I won't say 'let's make him pay' or anything like that. Especially because he's hurting also. But I will say this, a break is just that—a break. Me and Matt had our fair share of breaks, and look at us now."

Although that should have made Sylvie happy, she wasn't. Gabby and Matt had a good reason to take a break, her and Antonio did but also didn't.

"Do you think he wanted the break to see if he still loves Laura?" She questioned. "Or if he wants to go back to her?" She added, sadly.

Gabby couldn't help but laughed. "I know I said it might have been too soon, but at the same time, Antonio would never go back to Laura. Even if you and Antonio weren't together for a few months, he still wouldn't consider it. She made his life a living hell—she's still making his life a living hell."

"I know." She sighed.

Stella and Gabby stayed for another hour, just trying to comfort Sylvie the best way they could.

She could barely sleep that night, she kept waking up from a deep sleep, crying. She dealt with heartbreaks her life thus far, but this one hurt her the most.

It was around 6 in the morning and she knew she wouldn't make it to work. Then her thoughts went back to what she was thinking last night. Chicago may make everyone else happy, and at one point in time, it was what she needed. But what she really needed right now was to visit back home. She called Chief Boden and asked to use some of her personal days, he agreed, asking her if everything was okay. She lied and said yes and then hung up the phone.

As she was packing, she knew in her heart that she wasn't returning to Chicago, she couldn't. She wanted so badly to say goodbye to Gabby but she couldn't. Gabby wouldn't let her go.

Once she was done packing up her belongings, she looked around her apartment and she sighed. She promised herself the next place she made home, she wouldn't leave over another man, but yet here she was, leaving because of Antonio Dawson. Antonio freakin' Dawson.

—

Gabby was a little mad at Sylvie, as much as she knew she needed a break, she didn't want a temporary partner, she wanted her partner.

As soon as her shift was over, she wanted to go home and sleep but first she wanted to check in on Sylvie. She had been calling her all shift and nothing yet, she was getting a little worried about her.

"Hey. I've been calling and texting Sylvie all day, but haven't heard anything. I'm worried about her. Can you drop me off at her apartment?" Gabby asked Matt.

"You want me to come in with you?" He asked.

Gabby shook her head. "No, I think she just needs me." She gave him a kiss as soon as he pulled up outside of Sylvie's apartment. "I'll see you soon."

She stepped out of his truck and walked inside Sylvie's apartment building. She wondered if she and Antonio made up yet, but figured if they did, she would have told her by now. She walked up to her door and she knocked gently. "Sylvie?" She called out. "Are you okay? For your sake, you better not be because I'm going to kick your ass for ditching me."

When a few minutes went by and no answer, she started getting worried. She tried to open her door but it was locked. Where the hell was she? Then again it was pretty early. Duh, Sylvie was sleeping, that had to be it. But she couldn't leave without checking on her.

She took out her keys and looked for Sylvie's key. She hoped she was okay, but if she wasn't, her brother was dead. So dead. She opened her door and she looked around. It was quiet, too quiet.

She walked around the apartment, calling out for Sylvie. "Sylvie?" Please, oh please, don't let Antonio be in the bedroom with her. She would be happy they were back together, but it was a sight she was sure she would never recover from.

She pushed her bedroom door open further, expecting to see Sylvie laying in her bed. When she saw that her bed was still made and not slept in, she started to panic. Where was she? Sylvie wasn't the type to stay out all night, she never could when they were hanging out, so it was doubtful she was out all night now.

Her thoughts went to Antonio, maybe she was there. She was tempted to call him but she was stopped in her tracks when her eyes moved over to her closet. She walked over to her closet, opening the door wider, noticing that all of her clothes were gone. No, this can't be right. Sylvie wouldn't leave without saying anything to her. She walked over to her drawers and opened them, noticing they too, were empty.

She took out her cell phone and dialed Antonio's number. "Hey Sis." He said on the three ring, his voice sleepily. "What's wrong?"

"By any chance is Sylvie with you?" She asked.

At the mention of her name, Antonio was awake. He sat up in his bed. "No, we broke up." He said, his mind filled with the memories of their awful break up. It wasn't awful because of the stuff they said, but mainly because of how badly he felt afterwards. He was so badly hurt, but this was for the best. They both knew this.

"I know." Gabby said in an annoyed tone. "She didn't come to work yesterday, I have been calling and texting her for 24 hours. I'm at her apartment now, and she's gone, Antonio. She's gone. She packed up her things and left."

"Shit." He groaned as he ran his free hand in his hair. "I'll be right there, sis. Don't leave." He said as he hung up the phone and quickly got dressed. This was why he never wanted to get involved with one of Gabby's friends, but honestly this time that thought never crossed his mind. Everything was such a mess right now.

He made it to Sylvie's apartment in remarkable timing, but it helped that he could still use his sirens, he really needed to stop doing that. But worry filled him. Where would Sylvie go? He never thought she would feel the need to leave Chicago, she loved it here. She loved it here before him, anyway.

He stepped out of his truck in a hurry and ran into Sylvie's building. Although they spent more time at his place, sometimes they would spend it here, so he was familiarize with her apartment. He walked up to her door and opened it, seeing Gabby sitting on the couch, visibility upset.

"Hey sis. So, tell me all you know."

"I don't know anything, Antonio. This isn't like Sylvie. I mean, I know she was upset, but she's like you—she would never miss a day of work unless it was very important."

A few seconds later, Gabby's phone vibrated and she thought it was Matt, asking if everything was okay, but it was a text from Sylvie.

Hey, I'm sorry that I didn't do this face to face, but I know you, you wouldn't have let me leave. I went back to Indiana, and I'm not sure if I'm ever coming back to Chicago. Please don't say anything to Antonio, not right now. I love you and thank you for everything, truly. You were like the sister I never had, and I'll always be grateful for our time together. Please take care. I love you.

Gabby was so upset, she wanted to yell and hit her brother, but she knew he was hurting just as bad as Sylvie. And as much as she wanted to honor her friend's wises, he had the right to know where she was.

"She left." Gabby said.

"Left? Where did she go?" He questioned. "Gabby, where did she go?"

"Home." She said.

"Home? Her home is in Chicago. But then he realized what she meant by that. "Well, then I need to go to Indiana and bring her back where she belongs."

"No!" Gabby exclaimed. "She didn't want me to tell you. If you go there, she'll know I told you."

"I understand that, Gabby. And I'm sorry to put in that position, but she belongs here!" He said, raising his voice, not because he was mad at Gabby, but because he was mad at himself.

"You broke up with her!" Gabby said, raising her voice also, to get him to understand that he can't go there and forced her to come back to a city that brought her so much pain, and right now he was the sole reason of her pain. "You going there won't do her any good. She left because of you! Because being here was too painful, because everywhere she turned, she saw you."

This hurt Gabby way more than she thought it would. When Sylvie first came to town, she just lost Shay and never thought she would love having another partner, but she quickly warmed up to Sylvie. That was just the type of effect Sylvie had on people, and now she was going to get another partner that she hated. She was the only reason she was excited about working on ambo again, being able to work with Sylvie was always fun, but now she was gone.

"Fine." Antonio said, giving up on the idea of going after Sylvie. "You need me to drive you home?" He questioned, wanting to get out of that apartment. It reminded him of Sylvie, of the one that he let get away. It was crazy because he was sure that a break was what he wanted—but now, he wasn't so sure. He missed her like crazy already.

"Yeah, sure." She noticed the sadness in his eyes, but figured it would be best not to talk about it right now. "If you want, I'm making a good dinner tonight, so stop by and hang with me and Matt."

Antonio tried to smiled at her suggestion but he couldn't. "I'll try."

"I guess that's as best of an answer I'm going to get, right?" She questioned as she slipped on her coat and picked up her purse. The firehouse was surely going to be bummed out once they found out Sylvie was gone. Whenever they lost a family member, whether it was by death or them moving away, it always hurt them and the firehouse would never be the same without Sylvie.

—–

It has been close to a month since Sylvie moved to Indiana and at first it was hard adjusting back here. Mainly because she missed Antonio so badly. But now, the pain was almost gone and she was starting to smile again.

She started hanging out with her old friends again, although most of them were now married and had children, but that didn't bummed her out as much as she thought it would.

Tonight, she was going out with one of her friends and she was so excited. It was the first time she's been out since coming here. Sure, she grabbed lunch a few times with her friends but that was it. And when she did see her friends, it wasn't for long and they were just at their house.

As much as she wanted to wear a dress, it was too soon. Every dress she had reminded her of Antonio. She sighed, wondering when she would stop thinking of him. For gods sake, they didn't even confessed their love for another, they weren't that serious. Although she would be lying if she said the last time she hugged him, she couldn't feel the love they shared. "Get it together, Sylvie. It's over." She muttered to herself as she looked through her closet on what to wear.

She ended up deciding on jeans with a white dressy shirt that showed off enough cleavage. Not where she looked like a slut, but enough to get free drinks. Tonight, she wanted to have fun and forget about why she moved back home in the first place.

A few hours later, she was sitting in a booth at a club when her friend had to bring up Antonio. " So, come on, we know the reason why you're here. But at least say the guy was hot."

Sylvie laughed, shaking her head. "What? Why does that matter?" She questioned.

"She won't answer the question, so he must have been. Sweetie, you left Indiana because of Harrison and sorry to say, the guy wasn't all that. If you're going to leave a city over a man, he should be smoking hot." Sylvie sighed at her friend's logic. But she had a point. In some sense anyway.

"I left Indiana because I wanted a change. Coming back here doesn't necessarily say I want a change. I just missed my old life. Chicago was great, but it was too much pain there. I'm happy here now." Which was the half-truth. She was happy to be close to her family again, but she missed her firehouse family badly. Gabby and Stella kept trying to call her, but it was too soon.

"Can you just answer the question so we can get our groove on?" Her other friend questioned and she laughed. "Because you know she's going to keep going until you answered it."

"Fine, yes, he was hot." Sylvie sighed, this wasn't helping.

"How hot?" Her friend leaned forward. "Last question, I swear."

"Well–" Sylvie looked around the club and turned her attention back to her friends. "You see every guy here? They are a 3 maybe 4, compared to him."

"Picture please!" Her friend exclaimed.

"Nope. I deleted all the photos I had of him." Which was a lie. Sylvie didn't have the strength right now to do that. It was the only thing that kept her smiling most of the time, knowing that they did have some pretty wonderful times together. "Now, let's dance!" Sylvie said as she got up from the table and walked on the dance floor.

Sylvie was dancing to the beat of the music, finally feeling free of the pain and everything. She was minding her business when she heard someone's familiar voice. "Sylvie Brett. I heard you were back, but it's great to see you."

Sylvie turned her head and she sighed. "Harrison." She whispered.

"What are you doing back?" He questioned, surprised she came back years later. "I should have figured eventually you would come back."

"The same old Harrison." And although that should have pissed her off, right now that comforted her.

"Can I buy you a drink?" He questioned.

"Sure." She smiled, figuring this couldn't hurt.

Sylvie couldn't remember where her friends went, but knew they wouldn't leave her alone.

"This is nice." Harrison commented. "Feels like old times."

"It does." She agreed, nodding her head. "I forgot how easy it was talking to you." She admitted.

"Do you want to dance?" He questioned and she nodded her head.

They both stood up from their seats and headed on the dance floor. Of course as soon as they headed on the dance floor, a slow song came on.

"We can wait for the next song." He offered.

"No, it's fine. As long as you don't grab my ass." She said, laughing.

"I promise I won't."

They weren't dancing long before she felt Harrison being literally ripped from her. "What the hell?" She gasped.

It didn't take long for her to realize it was Antonio and he was beating the crap out of Harrison.

"Antonio, stop!" She screamed as she ran over to the fight and grabbed Antonio by the shoulders. "Stop! Will you stop!"

She wasn't sure why he was so mad, they were broken up. He wanted this, so why the hell was he here? And how in the world did he find her?

Hearing her voice must have calmed him down, because he stopped punching Harrison and he stood up. He looked over at Sylvie. "What the hell are you doing here?" He looked over at Harrison. "With him?" He spat out in disgust.

"It's not like this is a date—wait a minute." She wasn't sure why she was explaining herself to him. "It's none of your business!"

This was not the way this night was supposed to go, not at all. She finally found her friends and they were walking close to her, but they kept their distance. She heard her friend whispered though, "He is hot! Good for Sylvie."

She ignored her friend's words and walked over to Antonio. "Leave now!" She ordered as she crossed her arms across her chest. "I have nothing to say to you."

"The hell you don't." He said, he was so angry. "You're coming back to Chicago, to your real life."

"This is my real life." Sylvie would be lying if she said an angry Antonio wasn't hot. But he couldn't come to her city, telling her what to do.

Antonio looked around at the people staring at him. "Can we talk somewhere else?" He questioned.

"No." She said sternly. "Go."

"Sylvie." He warned. He wasn't in the mood for this. Especially not after seeing her slow dance with her ex fiance.

"Fine. You have 5 minutes." She said as she looked at her friends who smirked at her. She could tell in their eyes they were saying they would see her in 2 hours. But Sylvie was serious, Antonio wasn't in control anymore.

"Let's talk in the car." He suggested as they walked out of the club in silence.

Once they were both settled in the car and Antonio turned on the heat, she sighed. "What's the matter with you Antonio?" She started right in on him. "You can't go around beating up guys that are talking or dancing with me. We're broken up." She reminded him.

"Technically yes we are, but honestly, we're just on a break, on a pause. So, I don't want you dancing with anyone, especially not your ex fiance." He said, his jaw clenching.

"You can't expect me to wait around until you're ready for a relationship." She pointed out. "Besides, that was an innocent dance. You took it too far."

"It may have been an innocent dance to you, but was it for him?" He questioned.

"That's not the point. This makes me realize moving away was the best decision for us."

"Oh, is it?" He questioned in an angry tone. "It seem like more of a coward move than anything."

"Are you kidding me?" Now she was getting angry. "You have no idea what happened at Molly's the night we broke up. I couldn't even stay and support my friend. Your sister. Don't sit there and say that was a coward move when all Chicago ever did was caused me pain!"

"Sylvie, your home is Chicago. There isn't anything here for you. Please just come back. Gabby misses you, the firehouse misses you, I miss you."

"Even if I say yes and come back, we're still broken up." She pointed out. "Unless your job settled down and Laura stopped being crazy, nothing changed."

"Maybe I was wrong."

Her heart dropped in her stomach because she thought he meant he was wrong to say he missed her. She stayed silent because she felt like if she said something, she would burst into tears.

"My life is never going to settle down. But that's life. Maybe there isn't a perfect timing to start a relationship. Maybe it's just when someone finds a person that is perfect for them and is willing to put up with their crap." He admitted. "Although, you didn't want to put up with Laura."

"It wasn't that, Antonio. I just didn't want to get dragged in with your problems with her." She sighed, knowing how badly that sounded. "It's one thing when I'm off and she wants to mess with me, fine. But I just don't like my problems following me at work."

"I know, and for that, I'm truly sorry."

"I guess what really made me pissed and hurt even, is when she implied that I only learned to play chess for Diego for you. I really enjoyed that bonding time with Diego and I was very excited playing chess with him that day." She admitted. "I know that sounds silly–"

Antonio interrupted her. "No, that doesn't sound silly. I'm happy you found a way to bond with Diego. And Laura shouldn't try to take that away—no one should."

Sylvie took a deep breath and she nodded her head. "I'm just not sure if I can handle getting hurt that badly again." She confessed.

"I know I couldn't." He agreed with her. "But I don't know about you, but I was very happy with you. More happy than I have been in a long time. And this past month, I've been miserable."

"I have too." She reached over and she took his hand. "With being so many miles from you, you would think I wouldn't be miserable but I am."

"I know we can't rush with this—and it's okay if you're not ready—but do you think I can have my girl back?" He questioned.

Sylvie was terrified of getting hurt again, but she was more terrified of letting Antonio go back to Chicago without her, and him moving on to someone else. Or worst, regretting all this.

"Of course. I'm yours, forever." She said as she leaned forward and gave him a kiss.

She pulled away after a few seconds when she realized something.

"Why did you pull away for?" He groaned.

"I just thought of something." Her face broke out in a smile. "You were jealous."

"I was not!" He said, defensively.

"So, you just go around beating up guys?" She questioned.

"If they're touching you, damn right!" He gave her a smile. "But that isn't jealously."

"Oh yeah?" She questioned. "Then what is that called?"

"Putting him back in his lane." He said, smiling at her. "Fine, maybe I was jealous. You're telling me you wouldn't have been jealous if you saw me slow dancing with a woman. Her hands all over me?" He questioned.

"Okay okay, stop. I don't need to see an image." She said with a smile. "But yes, you're right. I would have been jealous. You're mine. No one else is allowed to put their hands on you."

"They won't." He promised as he lifted their joining hands and he kissed the palm of her hand. "Let's go get your stuff from your parents house and head home?" He suggested.

"I mean, it's late, so why don't we go to a hotel and show each other how much we missed each other?" Now that she wasn't mad anymore, she kept remembering his angry hot face, and not only an angry face, but he was also jealous so that made him that much sexier.

"You got yourself a plan." He winked at her as he started the car. "Just point me to the nearest, cleanest hotel." He smiled as he kept his grip on her hand as she used her free hand to text her friends.

"I have to let my friends know that I'm not going back in." Her thoughts went to Gabby. "How is Gabby? She probably hates me." She said, sadly.

"No, she doesn't." He reassured her. "She was just hurt, but she's fine."

"Hopefully I can get my job back. Do you know if they hired anyone yet?" She questioned.

"No, they didn't. Gabby asked Boden not to hire anyone yet, she had hope that you would return home."

"I'm glad she did." She smiled as she put her phone away. "And I'm glad you came to dragged me back home."

"You belong in Chicago." He smiled at her. "And with me."


	45. Chapter 45: My Heart Led Me Back to You

**A/N This story happens right after the crossover episode. Enjoy!**

Sylvie had no clue on why she was crying, it was just seeing those two teens happy after the tragedy was inspiring. And to be honest, all she wanted to do right now was run to Antonio and tell him they both made a huge mistake. If there was one thing Sylvie learned time and time again with her job was that life was short and at any time they can lose their life. Was this worth it?

If tomorrow she died, would Antonio say he had no regrets letting her go? Could she say the same? Right now she wasn't so sure. Her thoughts were interrupted when Gabby wrapped her arm around her shoulder. She let out an embarrassed laugh.

"I have no clue why this is getting to me." She said sheepishly as she wiped away the tears but they kept threatening to fall.

"Hey, we all had a rough day. Many lives were lost. It's nice to some see happiness after this senseless tragedy." Gabby pointed out. But even she can see it was more than that.

"I'm just so tired." Sylvie said.

"We are all, sweetie. Let's go home and rest." Gabby said, not understanding what she meant by that.

"No, Gabby. I mean, I'm just so tired of being sad over the breakup with Antonio. I'm tired of feeling like I'm surviving but not living, you know?"

"So, what are you going to do?" Gabby asked as she headed out of the hospital. "Are you going to try to date?" She questioned.

"Oh no, god no." Sylvie looked horrified at those words. "The last time I tried to move on, I almost got married." She said, letting out a chuckle at the memory.

"Well, this time, just try to have fun, not get married, you weirdo." Gabby said, playfully nudging her with her shoulders.

"Could you do it?" Sylvie asked as she turned her attention to her friend. "When you and Matt broke up, could you move on, knowing that you still have feelings for Matt?" She asked as she got inside the ambulance. Their shift was over, they just had to returned the ambo back to the Firehouse.

"No, I mean, it wouldn't have felt right. It's never a good idea to get involved with someone while you have feelings for someone else. Even small feelings, it wouldn't feel right." Gabby said, truthfully. "I know this doesn't make you feel better saying this, but I'm just being honest." She looked apologetically to Sylvie.

"No, you're right. You're absolutely right. As much as I tried to downplay my feelings for Antonio, the fact is I still have deep feelings for him. Which is weird because we only dated for a few months."

Gabby started the ambulance and she pulled away. "I'm sorry." Gabby said to Sylvie. "I know I wasn't always the most supportive person when it came to you both. But in a way, I was trying to save your feelings. But I will say this—let something come out of this tragedy. It may not mean much to others—but let it mean something to you."

"Are you saying to talk to Antonio?" She questioned, shaking her head. "He made his feelings pretty clear."

"Antonio has the habit of running at times, running to his work mostly. But remember, he's hurting from this tragedy also. This may have hit close to home with all of us, but it hit closer to home for him. He worked with Al, he met Lexi, he's hurting. And the last thing he needs when he puts away the monster, is to go home to an empty apartment." Gabby parked into their spot and she glanced over at Sylvie. "And that's all I'd say about this"

Sylvie sat in the ambulance for a few more seconds, letting over what Gabby said. As much as she usually listened to Gabby, right now she couldn't. She made a promise to herself that she would give Antonio space and let him come to her. It was just the way it had to be.

—-

A few hours later, Sylvie heard about the vigil and she really wanted to go. They were always trained that after treating patients that they should forget about it and move on. Drop them off at the hospital and walk away. But when a tragedy hit an entire city, it was impossible to do that. Sylvie wanted to pay her respects, especially after finding out Lexi died. Such a young woman that didn't deserve to die—hell no one who died deserved to die.

Her thoughts were on Antonio the entire day, knowing that he may have needed someone to lean on. But she made her decision and this was a decision that she couldn't sway away from. The last thing she wanted to do was show up at Antonio's apartment and him looking at her like she was desperate. No way, no hell.

Before she made it to the vigil, she stopped to pick up flowers. She wasn't sure what to bring to this, but she wanted to pay her respects. It was the least she could do in this senseless tragedy. As she made it through the people already there, she sighed. As much as she wanted to see Antonio, she hoped she wouldn't bumped into him. This was already too much for her, just seeing him right now would become too much for her.

She noticed a few people from the firehouse and she made her way over to them. She stood next to Chief Boden and she nodded her head at him. They didn't say anything to each other, she just placed the flowers down and she stood up. She bowed her head down, saying a few prayers that they find the scumbag that did this to these innocent people and pay for his crimes. She was sure the intelligence team and Antonio and his team would make sure of that.

—

A few days had passed, and as much as she would have liked to say things were getting back to normal, she wasn't sure it ever would again. The city would always think of this tragedy and would be apart of them forever, but hopefully soon the guy who did this would be charged and pay for his crimes.

It was finally her day off from work and as much as she would loved to be working while forgetting this tragedy, she needed the break. She needed the peace and quiet and just the thinking to herself.

When she heard the news about the guy getting charged with murder, she was sure she felt what everyone felt at this moment, she felt relieved. But she also knew as much as everyone was relieved, they also knew deep down inside, this should have never happened. But at least he didn't get away with it.

She was heading home from running errands when she looked up at Antonio's apartment. She wasn't even sure how she got here, but maybe it was her heart that led her here.

As she stepped out of her car, she realized that she was making a mistake. This tragedy was making her vulnerable and she had to leave. For one, who was to say that Antonio wanted to see her? And for two, this wouldn't change things. He still had a crazy ex-wife that wanted to make them miserable.

When she turned to head back inside her car, she was stopped by a familiar voice.

"Sylvie?"

Crap, she thought to herself. She was busted. At least if he was inside his apartment, she could easily get away without it being known that she came. But as she turned around to looked at him, she realized the main reason she came here in the first place. To make sure he was okay.

"Sorry." She apologized to him. "I mean, I know you're busy and all…and just got done with a tough case—"

He smiled slightly at her, realizing at this moment how much he truly missed her. "No, it's fine. I'm just a little confused—why are you here?" Maybe if those words came out of someone's mouth she would have taken offensive, but noticing the look on his face, it was more curious than anything.

Sylvie shrugged her shoulders. "Honestly, I don't know. I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"Do you want to come inside? It is pretty cold out here." He offered.

What could Sylvie say to that? She couldn't easily say no only because if she did, she would have looked like a stalker. She knew Antonio wouldn't thought of that, but still.

"Sure. If that's okay with you?" Sylvie didn't want to be in the way if he didn't want any company.

"Yeah, it's fine." He nodded his head and he led her into his apartment building.

The walk to his apartment was silent, but it wasn't uncomfortable. More like they were trying to process all this. The tragedy and maybe why they were doing this. They knew they needed a break and the first sign of trouble, the first tragedy that happened, and Sylvie ran to Antonio. But why? And why didn't he tell her this was a mistake? It was all confusing to her, and she could tell he was also confused.

He unlocked his apartment door and he headed inside. "Sorry for the mess, I haven't been home really in days."

It was funny to her because her definition of a mess was a lot different than his. She couldn't look at Antonio's apartment and think of mess. Her apartment on the other hand, yes. While she wasn't a snob, not by any means, she was also a woman and her clothes made her apartment a mess.

She laughed. "If in your eyes, this is a mess, please don't stop by my apartment right now." She thought making a joke could calm her nerves. How the hell Antonio Dawson still made her nervous was beyond her.

Antonio smiled at her as he closed the door behind her and locked the door. He took off his coat and he hung it up in the closet. "I'm sure it isn't that bad."

"Maybe not." She agreed as she walked over to his couch and sat down. It felt strange being here since the last time she was, they were happy together and Laura didn't ruin things yet.

"So, I know I should have called before I came. I really don't know how I got to your apartment." She admitted truthfully. "I heard about the case and everything—and I know it must have been hard on you. So—" Her voice trailed off. She wasn't sure if she sounded weird or whatever, since they were broken up. They weren't even friends right now—she didn't feel like it anyway. It was too soon to try to become friends.

"You came to check on me then?" He questioned as he sat down next to her on the couch. They were sitting far apart on the couch, but it was the closest they have been since their breakup.

"I guess, yes." Did she have that right? Not really. But as she looked around the apartment, she could tell that he would have came home alone tonight and with the tragedy, the last thing he needed to be was alone.

"I'm fine, Sylvie. Really." He couldn't help but smile, knowing that she was worried for him. His face then turned serious. "How are you doing?" He questioned.

"I'm fine, Antonio. Really." She repeated the words back at him.

He let out a laugh. "Smart ass."

She was glad that it wasn't awkward that she showed up here. But then she thought back to the teens who found happiness in such a tragedy. "Sometimes I wonder why I do this, you know? Especially with a tragedy like this. Not being able to save everyone sucks. It always kills me knowing that I couldn't save everyone. So, I guess because of that, Gabby and I kind of found a cause that made us feel better." She paused to see if he was even interested in this story, but she noticed his intense gaze on her. It took a few seconds to remember what she was talking about. Damn Antonio Dawson, she thought to herself. "During the fire, Gabby was helping a teenage boy who was asking for a girl in the pink dress. I know, typical Sylvie gushing over this right?" She said jokingly, but she saw him crack a smile at that. "Gabby didn't know where she was at, naturally we thought–you know?" She was a paramedic and professional at that, but it was still too soon to say the words. "But we later found out that she was in the hospital. Long story short, we reunited them. And I don't know why–but I just started crying." She admitted.

"Probably from the pressure of the day." He wanted to comfort her so badly, but the last thing he wanted to do was send her mixed signals. He thought they needed a break, to sort out their feelings, but was it worth it? Now, he wasn't so sure.

"But that wasn't even it. I mean, yeah, the day was hard on everyone involved. But that wasn't what got to me. I guess I just started thinking about us. Or the lack of. I know we both made the decision we needed time apart, and I still agree with it. It's just hard sometimes." She shook her head from the thoughts. "Anyway, I'm sure I took enough of your time. I should leave you alone since you're probably tired." She said as she stood up but she was stopped by his hands gripping her arm gently.

"I know this may be selfish for me to say–but don't go. All day today I kept thinking if we did the right thing. Lexi died and she barely lived her life. She was only 19. When I was 19, I felt like my life just started. My point is, if someone as innocent as Lexi can die, so can we. Our jobs are more dangerous than her being at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Hey, you aren't selfish Antonio, you are the least selfish person I know." She sat down next to him, moving closer to him. "But you're right. If there is one thing I keep learning over and over again is that life is too short."

"I just missed you so much." He confessed as his lips crashed against hers.

Sylvie was surprised of the kiss at first, but it only took a second for her lips to respond, kissing him back. God, how she missed his lips. How she just missed being close to him.

A few minutes later, she pulled away from the kiss. "As much as I would love to continue that kiss, and god I want to. But we can't until we talk. I can't let myself get that hurt again. When we broke up, it nearly destroyed me. I was crushed. I just don't want to go through that again."

Antonio nodded his head. "I know, Sylvie. I know I can't go through that again. But I also know I can't keep doing what I have been doing. Barely sleeping, barely eating, working all the time to keep myself from missing you. You have no idea how many times I almost drove to your apartment, wanting to beg for you back. I made a huge mistake, probably the biggest mistake of my life, when I let you go."

These were the words she wanted to hear ever since they broke up. She had many dreams about this, and now that it was actually happening, it felt amazing.

"You never have to beg for me back. It isn't like you cheated on me or anything." She almost laugh at her words, because Antonio was a lot of things, but a cheater was never one of them. "I just want to make things work between us."

"I do too baby, more than you know." He said as he leaned forward, kissing her again.

But like before, Sylvie pulled away. This time, she earned a groaned from Antonio. "What is it?" He asked, frustrated.

Sylvie laughed, patting his cheek with her hand. "Hey, stop it. But if you were barely eating before this tragedy happened, then I can guess you barely ate since it happened. So, come on."

"Come on, where?" He asked confused. "Sylvie, I don't feel like leaving my apartment right now. And you aren't leaving either."

She found him being bossy hot but she wasn't about to say that. "No, I'm not going anywhere. I'm just going to cook you dinner." Sylvie walked in his kitchen to see if he had anything in there.

Antonio stood up from the couch and he followed after her. "What? Sylvie, you don't have to do that. I'm not hungry."

Sylvie took a deep breath. "Just humor me, okay? I would feel a lot better if you ate."

"Then let's order in. You can cook for me some other time." He said, pleading with her with his eyes. Finally, after what felt like forever, she nodded her head.

"Fine. But I'm only agreeing to it because you need to go food shopping."

Antonio laughed and he walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her. "Thank you for coming back to me, baby. I know I can be stubborn as hell and even though I still feel like you deserve better than me, I'm crazy about you."

Sylvie smiled and she was about to say something when she felt his lips crashed against hers again. She pulled away slightly, placing her hands on his face. "My heart led me back to you. And I have a feeling that it always will."

Antonio smiled and he leaned back into the kiss, lifting her up in his arms. This sudden movement made Sylvie squealed in surprise. "Antonio, the food!" She would really feel better if she knew he ate something, but truthfully, she wanted him more at this moment than food, than anything else really.

"We'll eat later, Sylvie." He smirked at her as he leaned down, kissing her again as he headed straight to his bedroom.


	46. Chapter 46: Jealous Type

Stella walked inside Molly's and she headed towards the bar, sitting on the stool. "Hey." She said to gabby, who was behind the bar.

"Hey." She replied back. "Where's Sylvie?" She questioned. Stella was supposed to pick up Sylvie and bring her to Molly's for a girls' night out.

"She called me a little while ago and said she didn't feel like coming." She said as Gabby placed her drink down in front of her. She took a sip of her drink, loving how relaxed she felt already.

"Huh, that's weird. Sylvie used to always love coming here while I'm working." But as soon as Gabby said that, she realized what was wrong. "I think she thinks Antonio is coming here tonight."

Gabby hated the situation she was in, but what she hated the most was that Sylvie and Antonio were both hurting and were too stubborn to fix the mess they created.

"It's a tough situation. But I'm sure they can go back to being friends soon."

Gabby laughed at her remark. "It's not that easy. It's not easy when you still have feelings for each other." She pointed out.

"I just don't understand how they can go from being crazy about each other to feeling like a break is necessary."

"It happens, unfortunately." Gabby said, sadly. "But I thought they would find their way back to each other." Then an idea popped into Gabby's mind. "If they won't stop being stubborn, I say we figure out a way to get them back together."

Stella laughed. "Gabby, that won't work. Will it?" She asked.

"Oh, I'll make it work. Now, how do we make this work?" She questioned, thinking of some ideas. "Maybe we can lock them in an elevator to where they can't escape?" Gabby asked out loud.

"That may work, but where the hell is the elevator?" She questioned. "It isn't like they can both be at the Justice building because that's the only place I can think of."

"Right. Sylvie will know what I'm up to so can't do that. We don't want to ruin our plan before it starts." She agreed.

Then an idea popped into Stella's head. "Does your brother get jealous?" She questioned. She didn't really know Antonio that well so she wasn't sure if he was the jealous type.

"He can be. Ooh, I like the sound of this idea."

"We need to get someone to hit on Sylvie that knows it's just a game and not to actually leave with Sylvie. Oh god, could you imagine how Antonio would react if this guy leaves with Sylvie?" Stella questioned, laughing. "I wouldn't want to be that guy—or hell Sylvie."

"Hey, hey. Focus." Gabby said, trying to get Stella to refocus on the plan.

"Sorry, but your brother can be a little scary. Okay, but anyway, this guy needs to make Antonio jealous, and just talking to her won't do it, you know? He knows to have physical contact and make Sylvie smile. So, this guy needs to be hot with a capitalize H, because if he is ugly, this plan won't work. Do you have any idea on when Antonio comes to Molly's?" Stella asked.

"I have no clue. But he usually comes after he wins a big case. I think he's afraid of bumping into Sylvie." She rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe how stubborn they both were.

"Well, he's going to have to deal with it." Stella said, matter-of-factly.

"You tell him that. I want to see his reaction when you tell him that." Gabby said with a laugh.

"No thanks." Stella shook her head. "I'm good." She lifted up her glass as she clanked it against Gabby's glass. "Cheers to a good plan."

"Cheers." Gabby repeated.

It was two weeks later, and Stella finally found a guy that she felt like would make Antonio jealous. She was telling Gabby everything about him, when Gabby interrupted her.

"How certain are we that Sylvie will fall for this?" She questioned.

"Fairly certain. Besides, if we got a woman to do this to Antonio, it wouldn't work. Sylvie would get jealous but she wouldn't say anything. Antonio is more likely to say something with his temper."

"I feel like this will only work if Sylvie knows Antonio isn't at Molly's." It wasn't that Gabby felt like this plan would fall apart, it was just that she was afraid in some way, this was going to backfire on her, on them.

"Well, I don't know if I can control that. I advise him not to make a move on her until he sees Antonio. I gave him a picture of him so when he walks in the door, give it like 20 minutes and then head over to Sylvie."

"Again, how certain are we that once Sylvie realizes Antonio is in Molly's that she won't just make up an excuse and leave? She didn't come to Molly's two weeks ago because she was afraid of bumping into him."

"I'm on it. Trust me." Stella pleaded with her. "I want Sylvie to be happy and Antonio makes her happy. So, I'd do anything to make this work."

"Well, you go talk to the guy and I'll go talk to Sylvie. No way in hell am I letting this go on any longer than it has to." Gabby said as she picked up her purse and she walked out of her apartment with Stella.

"How does Matt feel about you doing this?" Stella asked.

"I think he's just happy that he isn't involved." She laughed. "I'll see you at Molly's." Gabby said as they retreated to their cars.

30 minutes later, Gabby stood in front of the couch as Sylvie laid, trying to look past Gabby to see the TV which was impossible.

"Gabby, please. I don't feel like going out." Sylvie complained.

"Look, I didn't want to be the one to say this, but it's time you move on. You're young, Sylvie. You shouldn't mope around because of one guy."

Sylvie's eyes shot to Gabby. "I know you never took us seriously, but it's hard to move on when I don't want to."

"I—I." Gabby shook her head, now was not the time to get into this. "Antonio hasn't even been to Molly's since the breakup anyway." She lied, but hey, it was for a good cause.

"Probably because he's been with Laura."

Gabby couldn't help but laugh. "No. Believe it or not, but he's avoiding you too. Even if he is at Molly's that shouldn't stop you from enjoying your night. You deserve it. Come on, Sylvie. I miss hanging out with you outside of work."

"What are you talking about? We went out a few times." She pointed out.

"I know, but not recently. Come on, Sylvie. Let's have fun." Gabby took her hands, pulling her up from the couch.

"Wow, you are strong." Sylvie grumbled.

"I'm a Dawson, of course I'm strong. Go get dress. Hey, if Antonio does stop by, knock 'em dead." Gabby said to Sylvie as she pushed her in her bedroom.

"You owe me, Gabby."

As Sylvie closed the door behind her, Gabby took a deep breath. "I know I do." She couldn't help but feel guilty that she wasn't more supportive of her relationship with Antonio. A few seconds later, she broke out of her thoughts.

She pulled out her phone and texted Stella.

Almost there. Are you almost ready?

She hit send and waited for Stella to reply back.

We're already at Molly's, waiting for you. And guess what? Antonio is already here. Let the games begin xx

Gabby thought it was weird that Antonio was at Molly's at 6:PM but she just figured he won a case or something. Nothing to worry about. It seemed like their plan was working.

An hour later, Sylvie was done getting ready and they headed out of her apartment.

"You look beautiful, Sylvie." Gabby said, knowing that she had to stay on Sylvie's good side so when she saw Antonio, she wouldn't leave. Besides, she did look beautiful. She had on a black dress, it was simple, but also classy, and she wore her hair in curls.

"Thank you." Sylvie smiled softly at Gabby. "I feel like tonight is going to be a good night."

Oh, you don't know it yet, but it will be, Gabby thought to herself.

20 minutes later, Gabby and Sylvie walked inside Molly's, and of course Sylvie's eyes landed right on Antonio. Her stomach felt like it was in knots and she wanted to run out of there. Why did she choose this dress? She felt naked. Crap, she thought as he looked right at her. She tore her eyes away from him and focused on Gabby. What possessed her to date her best friend's brother? It was a mistake.

"There is Stella." Gabby said, breaking Sylvie out of her thoughts. She led her over to Stella and Sylvie sat next to her on the stool.

"Unfortunately, I still have to bartend." Gabby sighed as she walked behind the bar. "But drinks are on me tonight." She said, eyeing Stella and Sylvie.

"Our hero." Stella said, causing Sylvie to laugh. She looked over at Sylvie. "How are you doing?" She questioned.

"I'm okay." She said, truthfully. "But hey, let's focus on having fun tonight." Sylvie said, breaking out in a huge grin.

"Oh hell yes!"

As Gabby placed their drinks down in front of them, Sylvie picked hers up and took a sip.

20 minutes passed by and Sylvie was in the middle of telling Stella a funny story when she felt someone sit down next to her. But she didn't stop telling her story because she just thought the person next to her needed a place to sit.

It wasn't until the person started talking to her she realized that person wasn't with anyone.

"You are beautiful, I hope you know that." The guy said and as Sylvie glanced over, she realized he was cute sure, but she wasn't here for this.

"Uh— thanks." She said, uncomfortable. Why did she feel like whenever a guy talked to her, she felt like she was cheating on Antonio? The only time she didn't feel that way was when she almost married that guy at the club, but she had far too many shots in her for her to think otherwise.

Sylvie turned to Stella, trying to give the guy the hint that she wasn't interested. But unfortunately, Stella's phone started ringing.

"I'm sorry, Sylvie." She looked at her apologetically. "I have been waiting for this phone call all day, I'll be back in 5 minutes." She promised as she hurried away to answer her phone.

That was weird, Sylvie thought but figured she was making a bigger deal than it was. She glanced around looking for Gabby, but she was busy with a patron.

"So, your name is Sylvie? That's a beautiful name. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman." All Sylvie felt like doing right now was dashing out of here. It was bad enough that her ex-boyfriend was here, she didn't need this.

"Thanks. But I'm not interested." She said, politely.

"Interested?" The guy repeated. "In what? I'm not trying to marry you." He said, offensive.

Great, now she upset this guy. Was she capable of not talking to any guys without making them mad?

"I'm sorry." She apologized. "I am just going through a bad breakup." She explained.

"Oh, I'm sorry." The guy seemed sincere. "Honestly, who would ever let you go is an asshole. If you were my woman, I'd never let you go."

Sylvie smiled and she didn't object when the guy placed his hand on hers. Maybe Gabby was right, maybe it was time that she moved on. Antonio didn't want her, she couldn't waste her time, or her life, waiting for him. It wasn't fair to her.

However, little did she know that Antonio's eyes were glued on her the entire time since the guy sat next to her. Maybe he had no right to be jealous, he broke up with her. He told her that she deserved better. So, why the hell did he want to bash this guy's face in?

Antonio tried to turn his attention back to his friends and colleagues but he couldn't stop looking at Sylvie smiling at this guy. She shouldn't be smiling at him.

Blame it on his drinking, or whatever, but he couldn't stop what he did next.

"I'll be right back. Next round is on me." He said as he stood up and he headed over to Sylvie. Maybe he had no right to do this, but it killed to see her happy with someone else.

Before he could think about what he was doing, he grabbed the guy by the shirt and threw him on the ground.

"Antonio!" Sylvie gasped, shocked at his reaction.

However, Antonio didn't hear her voice, all he kept thinking about was the fact that this guy was hitting on the woman that he loved, that he could have had a bright future with if he wasn't such a dumbass.

He had so much anger inside of him because of Laura, because of his job, and unfortunately this guy was getting the blunt of it. He was punching him in the face, trying to erase the scene he saw in front of him.

"Tonio!" Gabby shouted, trying to get his attention.

Antonio was pulled off of him by the other patrons. As Antonio tried to calm down, he realized that this guy was badly beaten. Damn him and his temper. He couldn't even look Sylvie in the face and he pulled money out of his pocket and placed it on the bar.

He hurried out of the bar as Stella walked back over. She glanced at Gabby, mouthing 'yikes.'

"Sylvie, are you okay?" Gabby asked as she looked at Sylvie, who seemed frozen in place.

Sylvie didn't say anything, she walked out of Molly's.

"Antonio!" She called out, looking for him. She wanted answers. He couldn't always run away from her, not this time.

Sylvie walked further down the street as she found Antonio leaning against his truck. She wanted to yell at him so badly but her eyes glanced down to his fists that was badly injured.

"Here." She said as she walked over to him. "Let me take care of you, while you tell me why you did that."

"I'm okay, Sylvie." He said. "I can deal with it on my own."

"Oh my god, can you stop being stubborn!" Sylvie exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "I thought Gabby was stubborn, but I think you beat her."

"I'm not trying to be stubborn, Sylvie. But you don't have to worry about me."

"And you don't have to worry about me." Sylvie said, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Easier said than done, Sylvie."

"I just want to know why you did it. Why did you beat up a stranger?" She questioned.

"A stranger that was making you happy." He whispered.

"Isn't that what you wanted?" She questioned. "You said I deserved better than you. Someone who can put me first."

"I thought it was. I thought I could be able to let you go—but everything I have done in the past few months is anything but letting you go." He confessed. "I'm working myself to death, trying to forget about you, forget about the memories. But it isn't working."

Sylvie was taken aback from his confession. She would be lying if she said his words weren't getting to her.

"Can I please look at your hand?" She asked softly.

"Okay." He nodded his head. He gave her his hand and he winced when she ran her fingers over his fist.

"The good thing is it isn't broken. You got lucky." She complimented. She couldn't really do anything here without supplies.

"At least one thing isn't broken." He told her sadly.

"You still haven't answer my question. Why did you beat up that guy?" She demanded more harshly this time.

"Because—–because I miss you, okay? Because I feel like I made a huge mistake putting my career ahead of you, ahead of our relationship. When I saw you talking to that guy, smiling, it made me realize what an idiot I was being."

"You're jealous." She said, a hint of a smile.

"I'm not jealous." He said, yanking his hand away from hers.

"It's okay, Antonio." She said, walking closer to him. "I would have been jealous if another woman was making you smile. We're human, it's an instinct." She reminded him.

"I'm not jealous." He repeated. "I don't get jealous."

"Maybe you normally don't, but last I checked, you don't go around beating up guys." She laughed, shaking her head.

"Shut up." He shook his head.

"Make me." She said, teasing him.

"I don't think you want that." He said, lowering his voice in a seductive tone.

"Anto—" Before she could finish saying his name, he pulled her closer to him and he crashed his lips against hers.

She moaned against the kiss, as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Their kiss was interrupted by a whistle and as they broke the kiss, she heard Stella say, "Our plan worked!"

Sylvie looked at Antonio who looked just as confused yet equally pissed as she did.

"Stella! You have a big mouth." Gabby smacked her upside the head. "Uh—we'll talk later." She said, pulling Stella away from them.

"I can't believe we fell into their plan." Sylvie complained, as she wrapped her arms around herself to keep herself from shivering. Although it was warming up, it was still a chilly spring night.

"Are you cold?" Before she could respond, he took off his jacket and wrapped it around her. "Let's be honest, it was only a matter of time before we found our way back to each other."

Sylvie nodded her head, wondering what all this meant. As if he was reading her mind, he took a deep breath. "We don't have to rush this time, we can take our time."

"I'd like that." She smiled softly at him.

"Can I drive you home?" He questioned.

"Can you?" She threw the question back at him. She glanced down to his hand.

"I'll manage." He assured her. "Come on."

She nodded her head as she walked over to the passenger side and she got inside. She wasn't sure what the future would hold, but she knew with how much they cared about each other, this time they weren't willing to throw it all away because of Laura or even his job.


	47. Chapter 47: Turn Me On

Sylvie had the day off from work, and as much as Antonio wished he had off also, he was working on a big case.

Luckily though, the case was nearing an end and Peter sent them home early since they were working hard these past few weeks.

Antonio decided to stop by Sylvie's apartment to see her, even if it was only for a few hours. He missed her and he wanted to let her know that he was trying to make this work.

As he stood outside her apartment, he smiled softly to himself as he heard the soft sounds of her TV. It brought him comfort to know that she was relaxing at home. Not because he wanted her home all the time, but because she deserved to relax.

He knocked gently on the door and he waited for her to answer it. It amazed him that he still got butterflies in his stomach, knowing that he was about to see her after a few days of long shifts between them both that kept them apart.

A few seconds later, Sylvie opened the door and he smiled softly at her. "You know, a pretty woman like yourself shouldn't be alone in your apartment." He said, attempting to flirt with her.

"Well, you see, my boyfriend is busy saving the world. So, what other choice do I have?" She questioned with a flirty smile.

"Saving the world is kind of a stretch, don't you think?" He asked with a laugh.

"Not really. Get in here." She smiled as she pulled him inside her apartment. "I missed you so much." She said as she pulled him into a kiss.

"Mm." He said through the kiss. He pulled away after a few seconds.

He took her hand as he walked over to the couch, noticing what she wearing for the first time. He was just excited to see his girlfriend, that he didn't realize what she was wearing.

"Is that my shirt?" He asked as he sat down on the couch.

"Uh, yeah." She said with a sheepish smile. "You let me wear it, remember?" She questioned.

"I know you had it, I just didn't think you wore it. Especially when relaxing." He pointed out.

"Well, it smells like you, and it keeps me calm. Besides, I was missing you a lot." She explained.

"No need to miss me now, I'm here. I'm sorry we barely talked the last few days, this case is—" He shook his head, he didn't want to talk about work-related things while he was spending his little bit of free time with his girlfriend.

"Hey." Sylvie said, interrupting him. "I get it. Our jobs aren't exactly easy. I'm just so happy you're here now. Are you spending the night?" She asked as she stroked his arm.

"I actually wasn't planning on it." He confessed. "But I don't think I would have the strength to leave you in a few hours to go home alone in my apartment."

"Not that I'm mad you weren't planning on spending the night, but was there a reason why you needed to go home?" She asked. She didn't want him to stay if he needed to do things for work.

"Well, I mean, I wasn't sure what you were doing. And I do have to do some things for work. But also at the same time, I don't want to do anything right now but spend time with you."

"Why not do both?" She questioned. "I can go back with you to your place while you work on things for work. Believe it or not, what I'm doing here, I can do at your place." She said as she looked at him.

"No, I couldn't ask you to do that. It's fine." He promised.

"Antonio, this relationship is never going to work if you think you're the only one that should do things for me. All I really have to do is put on some sweats and then we can head to your place. All I care about is being with you."

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?" He asked with a soft smile.

"I'm sure you have, but I love hearing it." She leaned in and she kissed him deeply. A few seconds later, she pulled away. "And while we're on the way to your apartment, we can stop for some food because I bet you didn't eat yet."

He shook his head. "No, I haven't. But first, there is something that needs my attention first."

"What?" She asked puzzled.

"Just something I have been neglecting." He said as he lifted her in his arms.

"Antonio!" She squealed. "We can do this later."

"No." He said as his lips crashed against hers.

Once his lips were against hers, there was no use fighting against it. She could never fight her want for Antonio, she was sure no woman could.

She groaned as he pulled away from the kiss but smiled at his words. "I love you."

"I love you too. More than you know." She said as he walked inside her bedroom and headed to her bed. He placed her down on her bed.

"Admit it." She said as she placed her hands on his face. "Seeing me in your shirt got to you." She smiled with a sparkle in her eyes, the love she had for Antonio Dawson was insane and every day it grew.

"It did." He agreed. "But it doesn't take much from you to turn me on." He grinned at her as he leaned down and kissed her deeply.


	48. Chapter 48: Separation Anxiety

Sylvie decided that she needed to spend a night alone away from Antonio. Her worry was that she was getting too attached to him. It wasn't a worry that he would leave her and she would be heartbroken. More of the fact that she felt like she was losing her independence.

However, as she looked at the clock 12:10 AM, she realized she made a huge mistake. She couldn't fall asleep. She maybe slept for 20 minutes, but she couldn't stay asleep.

The fact was that she missed Antonio and wanted to be in his arms right now. Who cared about emotional attachment right now? She had to be at work in a few hours and staying here wasn't going to allow her to rest.

But then she thought about Antonio. Although he moved from the intelligence unit to Justice for more time off, that also meant he went to bed earlier. She felt bad that she would be waking him up, but deep down inside she knew he would be happy to see her, hopefully.

As Sylvie got out of the bed and changed into her clothes, she started thinking why she still had her apartment. She was barely here, only came to pick up her mail and then went to Antonio's when she wasn't on shift. But then again, her and Antonio were near where ready for that move. It was too soon.

After she was done putting on sweatpants and a t-shirt, since she was wearing a tanktop and didn't want to walk out in the cold in that, she slipped on her coat. She was nervous yet she couldn't wait to see Antonio.

20 minutes later, she entered his apartment building. A building she walked through countless times, but at night time, it was scary. She never worked through here near 1 AM and alone at that. But her mind was on Antonio and being in his arms. She knew he was going to have a smart remark because he didn't think she would be able to sleep alone, but this was one bet she didn't care about losing.

As she walked off the elevator and neared his door, her nerves were getting the better of her, but luckily since they were dating for a few months, her mind wasn't telling her to go home and just try to force herself to sleep. She could try to drink some warm milk, or fall asleep to music, but then again, there was only one thing—or well person that could put her to sleep and it was Antonio. She knocked on his door as she waited for him to answer.

She knew it would take a while for him to answer since he was sleeping. She felt bad for waking him up when he had to go to work in the morning, but so did she. So, she wasn't planning on staying up longer than she had to. All she wanted to do was slip into bed and have his arms around her as she fell asleep.

A few minutes later, Antonio answered the door and as he saw Sylvie standing there, his expression soften. She smirked. If she was anyone else, he would probably start yelling. She loved that she had a privilege that not too many people had. It made her feel special.

"Sylvie, are you okay?" He asked in a soft tone.

"I'm fine." She promised him as her eyes were glued to his chest. "You know, you really shouldn't answer the door with no shirt on."

"I was sleeping, Sylvie." He said trying to stifle back a yawn. "Something that normal people do at this time of the night, unless they're working."

She shrugged her shoulders as she walked inside his apartment. "I know, Antonio. I know. And trust me, I was trying to sleep for the last two hours. Probably longer. But you were right."

As he shut the door behind her, he turned to looked at her. "Right about what? I'm right about a lot of things."

"Not a lot. You weren't—" She shut her mouth as he gave her a hard look. "I meant you were right about me not being able to sleep without you. It sucks that you were able to." She said, frowning.

"Babe, you can't take that offense. My job can mentally drained me. I can literally fall asleep anywhere." He said as he walked closer to her. "You knocked on my door at 1 in the morning, to cuddle?" He asked, with a hint of a smile.

"Well, yeah." She said, not able to look him in the eyes because she was embarrassed.

"Come on, then." He said as he took her hand and led her into his room.

"I'm serious though, you shouldn't answer your door without a shirt. That's like me answering my door in my booty shorts." She said as she let go of his hand to remove her coat.

"I'll keep that in mind. But no one knocks on my door at 1 AM. They normally call." He pointed out.

"Yeah well, I'm allowed to knock on your door if I want to. I am your girlfriend after all."

"That is true." He smiled softly as he climbed back into bed.

"I'm sorry." She apologized as she looked at him. She just wanted to be in his arms, she didn't think how tired he was. She felt like a horrible girlfriend.

"For what?" He questioned.

She climbed into bed and she broke out in a wide smile as she felt him wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. "I should have listened to you from the start. I just didn't want to be that type of woman that couldn't spend one night away from her boyfriend." She explained, which now felt pretty silly. It wasn't like they spent all their time together, their jobs kept them apart most of the time. So, it made sense that she wouldn't be able to sleep in her own bed, knowing that Antonio was also sleeping alone.

"It's okay." He said as he pressed a kiss against her head. "You make it seem like it's a bad thing though. I love how close we are, especially because we're both very independent people. There is nothing wrong with being attached to each other. It isn't like it's unhealthy. It's just unhealthy if we slacked on our job for each other. And we haven't, so we're good." He promised her.

"I know." She agreed. He had a point. She never called out of work to spend the day with him, and neither has he. They were both still dedicated to their job like before.

"I could hold you forever." He murmured against her hair.

She smiled softly as she turned over to looked him in the eyes. "Seriously, you make me feel like the luckiest woman in the world."

He scoffed at her words and she arched her eyebrows at his reaction. "Come on, Sylvie. Most of the time, I'm so busy with work and my kids, that I barely have time to give you the attention you deserve."

"I'm also not desperate for attention. You wouldn't be the man that I love, the man that I fell in love with, if you spent all your attention on me. I knew from the start that you love your job, and honestly, any woman that gets mad about you spending time with your kids isn't the woman for you." She said as she placed her hand on his face, stroking his cheek with her thumb. "Besides, that isn't what matters. Obviously your kids matters, but what matters is that I'm happy and I feel loved. And every day I'm with you, I know how much you love me."

"I do love you, so very much." He leaned forward and gave her a kiss.

As much as she wanted to continue the kiss, she knew soon they would both lose control, and they both had work in the morning. She pulled away as she smiled at him. "I love you too." She gave him one more kiss to seal the promise. Never would she walk away from Antonio because he didn't give her enough attention. It was one thing if he had the time, but that wasn't the type of woman she was anyway. Honestly, there was no reason in her mind on why she would walk away from Antonio, not even Laura.

As they pulled away from the kiss, Sylvie laid her head on his chest and for the first time that night, she felt relaxed.

"Goodnight, baby." Antonio said as he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

Never before did she get butterflies in her stomach hearing someone call her baby. Maybe that was because every guy she was in the past that said it, usually wanted something. She knew Antonio called her baby because he truly cared for her.

"Goodnight babe." She said as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. She wasn't planning on doing this again, the next time she had off, she would make sure she was with Antonio. Maybe before being attached to a guy was bad for her and ended badly, but with Antonio, she knew it would only bring them closer as each day passes.


	49. Chapter 49: Die for you

"Let her go!" Antonio growled at the guy that held Sylvie against him with a gun to her head.

How did she end up in this position? Oh yeah, when she and Gabby went for a call on the bad side of Chicago. They needed more supplies from the ambulance and Sylvie offered to go get them. Why did these junkies think they had drugs on them? Well technically they did, but Sylvie wasn't giving it away. She wasn't losing her job over these idiots.

When she refused to give up the drugs, the guy held a gun up to her. The next thing she knew, Antonio came onto the scene. Which puzzled her to no end. She was sure Gabby didn't know what happened, and he got here pretty fast even if Gabby called for help.

And what confused her further, Antonio's job wasn't this anymore. He could get in serious trouble if his boss found out about this. But then again, no one could talk Antonio out from saving her life. She, and others, learned that quite a few times already.

If she didn't have a gun pointed at her, she would tried anything to get away. Her eyes scanned over to Antonio's partner Nagel, which made Sylvie realized that this wasn't just a freak accident they were here, but they were questioning someone at this part of the town. It wouldn't have surprised her if they were driving by and Antonio saw this happening and quickly pulled over. She was gonna talk to him about this later.

"Make me." The guy threatened, and if Sylvie's life wasn't in danger, she would have laughed, knowing that this guy was signing a death wish.

"Look idiot, I'm not playing with you." Antonio said through clenched teeth. This was the last thing he wanted to deal with right now. "Let my girl go!" Usually Antonio kept his emotions in check, but with the day he had already, he was starting to lose control.

"Oh, this is your girlfriend, huh?" The guy asked, in a tone that made Antonio's skin crawled. "Would you mind sharing her for a few hours?" He asked, clearly trying to get a rise out of Antonio.

Antonio was thinking of a way to kick this guy's ass but also not put Sylvie's life in danger. His eyes locked with Sylvie's and she nodded her head.

Antonio took a deep breath as he walked closer to the guy and Sylvie. "You know, you have a big mouth for a guy that is aiming a gun at a woman. Why not aim your gun at a man? Or are you too scared for that?" He questioned, his turn to get a rise out of this man.

Luckily Antonio has been in this line of work for years, or else he wouldn't have been able to see what the guy was about to do. He took his hold off of Sylvie and she was able to get free, but he tried to shoot Antonio. But being good at his job, he was able to tackle the guy before he could shoot Antonio.

"Antonio!" Sylvie screamed out in fear. If she knew that was his plan, she wouldn't have did what she did. Honestly, if she was being truthful, he let her go because Antonio was getting to him.

She heard the gun go off, and she felt her heart stopped for a second. She felt like she was frozen in place but as a few seconds passed, she ran over to Antonio. Thank god she was trained for this.

"Antonio! Baby, are you okay?!" She asked as she pushed the guy off of him and she felt like she was about to freak out when she saw the blood on Antonio's jacket. "No no no." She kept saying over and over.

"Hey hey." Antonio said, trying to get her attention. "I'm fine. It wasn't me. I'm not shot."

She let out a deep breath of relief when she realized he was okay, he was alive. "Oh thank god." She said as she flung herself in his arms. Luckily things like this didn't happen often, and she never experienced Antonio getting shot. She wasn't sure if she would make it if she knew Antonio was hurt.

She felt like hours passed when she let go of Antonio but it was only a few minutes. She wanted to yell at him for doing what he did, but right now they had other important things to worry about. She turned to looked at Laura. "I'm sorry, I know this isn't something you wanted."

"No, it's okay. I saw my partner in a different way than I have ever seen him." She said as she cracked a smile. "Is there anything you guys need me to do?" She asked as she looked down at the guy.

"Actually, yes. If it isn't too much to ask for, can you go in the alley and get Gabby? She doesn't know anything that is going on. And um—hand her this." Sylvie said as she stood up and walked over to get the supplies that Gabby needed. She handed it to Laura.

"Sure, of course." She agreed, knowing that Sylvie and Antonio needed a moment to themselves for a few minutes anyway.

Sylvie walked over to the victim as she checked his pulse and realized he was dead. Couldn't say she felt bad because this was the guy that was just holding a gun on her.

"Why would you do that?" Sylvie questioned. "It was easily the most stupid thing you ever did in your life."

"Uh, you're welcome, Sylvie. For you know, saving your life." He attempted to joke with her, wanting to lighten the mood. He stood up as he sighed. "I know you want me to say sorry but I can't."

"Why can't you?" She questioned, angrily. "If I would have lost you—" She couldn't finish the words, she was starting to choke up.

"Because Sylvie, I can't!" He understood where she was coming from, but apologizing for saving her life wasn't something he would ever do. "I'll protect you no matter what… even if it kills me." He said, his voice full of emotion.

Sylvie bit down on her lip as she felt herself grow emotional. Just thinking of living in a world without Antonio Dawson made her want to break down and cry.

"Baby, no." He said as he walked over to her and he pulled her in his arms. "I'm okay, I'm alive."

She nodded her head against his chest as she breathed in his scent. Maybe they shouldn't have this moment in front of a person that Antonio killed, but she couldn't help herself.

A few minutes passed and she pulled away, wiping her eyes. "I love you." She said and for the first time since she had a gun pointed at her, she relaxed as she saw the smile appeared on his face.

"I love you too. Maybe this is the last time you get yourself in trouble?" He suggested. "You know, maybe next time you and Gabby stay together at all times."

"I know. I honestly wasn't thinking. We needed more supplies for the victim so that's all I was concerned about."

"Yeah well, your life matters more to me." He pointed out. "My place later?" he asked softly.

"You bet." She looked down at the victim. "Did you call someone—?" She questioned.

"Yeah, while you were getting Nagel the supplies. It'll probably take a little while. No one likes coming to this part of the town."

"I can see why." Before Antonio could respond, they heard Gabby's voice.

"Sylvie! Are you okay?" She asked as she ran over and gave her a hug. "I'm so sorry, I need to keep a better eye on you while we're on runs."

"No, it's okay. My hero saved me. But it came at a cost." She said, glancing down at the victim.

"Well, he shouldn't try to hurt a paramedic." She reasoned with Sylvie, trying to make her feel better. She looked over at Antonio. "Can you help us load our victim in the ambulance? Since you're here, you can help us." She grinned at her brother.

"Sure, Gabby. No problem." He looked over at Sylvie. "Later, we'll have wine and forget about this day, sound like a plan?" He questioned.

"Yes, sounds wonderful." She smiled as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.

As he walked away to help Gabby, she called after him. She smiled as he turned to looked at her.

"Thank you for saving my life." She said.

"It's kind of my job." He winked at her as he walked away with Gabby, leaving Sylvie standing there, shaking her head.

Although her and Antonio hasn't been together for that long, it felt longer than it was. Not in a bad way at all, but because how close they have gotten in such a short amount. She would be lying if she said she didn't love how protective he was over her, but at the same time, she wished at times he would think about what he did to protect her. Then again, if he did, he wouldn't be the man that she fell in love with.

As she walked over to the ambulance and got inside the drivers seat, she took a deep breath. With what she just went through, she needed to drive. She was sure Gabby wouldn't mind being in the back with the patient.


	50. Chapter 50: Can't Keep my Eyes off You

Antonio and Sylvie only saw each other a total of 5 hours the last few days, and since they both had off today, it was their date night. However, since they haven't spent much time together, they were having date night inside.

At first, Sylvie offered to cook dinner for them but Antonio insisted that he wanted to cook and she had no arguments over that.

Since they were staying inside at his place, Sylvie knew she didn't need to find something to wear that was nice, but at the same time, she didn't want to look like a snob. She wanted to actually look hot, sexy. So hot that Antonio couldn't keep his eyes off of her. The beginning of relationships were always the best.

As she rummaged through her closet, she realized all her dresses were classy. So classy that Antonio wouldn't realize her plan for the night. It was the reason why when she first seduce Antonio, she showed up in lingerie instead of a dress. This time though, she didn't want to do that.

She sighed as she realized that she needed to go shopping. She looked over at her alarm clock and saw that she had a few hours to spare, so she figured shopping was her only option to finding a great dress.

An hour and a half later, she stood in front of her mirror and she grinned at her reflection. She was amazed at how quickly she found a dress, knowing that task in itself could take forever. But luckily she fell in love with a dress. It was a short black dress that showed off her cleavage in a classy and elegant way. She curled her hair, knowing that always drove him crazy.

She walked in her bedroom to pick out her shoes. Her obsession were shoes, but it was hard always wearing her shoes because of work. Should she go with boots or heels? Deciding on boots because a few of her boots had heels on it so it was a win-win for her, or so she felt like it.

After she placed on her boots, she slipped on her jacket and she smiled softly. She couldn't wait to see Antonio and just focus on themselves for the night. It wasn't often they could do that, so it would be nice.

30 minutes later, she stood outside his door, her thoughts going back to a few months earlier that she did the same thing to seduce him for the very first time. Although it wasn't that long ago, it sure felt like. They grew closer in that time and she couldn't have felt happier. She knocked on his door and a few seconds later he answered it, like he was waiting for her.

"Ah, you're a sight for sore eyes." He said as a smile formed on his lips.

Sylvie smiled as she walked inside his apartment. She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "And you aren't?" She remarked. "I missed you so much."

Antonio shut the door behind her and he locked it. "I missed you too baby. You want a beer?" He questioned.

"Yes, please." She agreed and she watched as he headed into the kitchen. She slipped off her coat, as she started feeling self-conscious. She didn't understand how she still got this way around Antonio.

"Wow." Antonio said as he walked back into the living room. Sylvie smiled internally as she saw his face expression turned to pure lust. She loved that she had that type of effect over him. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to seduce me."

"Me?" Sylvie foreign shocked. "I have never seduced anyone before." She said, obviously lying.

"Oh yeah?" He questioned as he walked over to her and handed her a beer. "So, you didn't show up to my place a few months ago in nothing but your undergarments?" He asked softly, with a twinkle in his eyes.

Thankfully he handed her the beer because she needed something cold in her mouth. She took a long swig of the beer. "That was…. different." She said after she swallowed.

"How so?" He challenged as he placed down his beer on the coffee table and took her coat out of her hands.

"I had to make sure that you were interested. It was a huge step for me to make, one that I never made before." Sylvie said, defensively.

"Well, I'm glad that I was the one you felt comfortable enough to do it for." He confessed as he walked over to the hallway closet and hung up her coat.

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "So, what did you make for dinner?" She asked.

"Microwave pizza." He said and a few seconds later, he started laughing. "I'm kidding, babe."

Sylvie shrugged her shoulders. "It wouldn't have mattered to me."

"I made Coriander-Crusted Pork Chops with Sautéed Apples and Caramelized Onions." He shrugged his shoulders. "I just wanted tonight to be special."

Sylvie smiled softly and she placed her beer down next to his. She walked over to him and she placed her hand on his chest. "Hey, it doesn't matter what you cook for dinner, or anything really—as long we're together, that's a special night."

"You know, you're making it really hard to concentrate when you're wearing that dress." He confessed.

"Back to the reason why I was asking what was for dinner, do you think it would be okay to eat it—in let's say a few hours later?" She asked softly.

"I think that would be—fine." He said as he looked her up and down as his eyes darkened with desire. "More than fine actually."

"Good." She leaned in and kissed him deeply.

He picked her up as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He continued to kiss her deeply as he headed into his bedroom. He kicked the door shut with his foot as he pulled away from the kiss.

"You're perfect, so perfect." He said breathlessly.

Sylvie scoffed as she shook her head. "I'm far from perfect."

"I wish you could see yourself the way I see you." He sighed softly as he placed her down on the bed.

Sylvie smiled as she moved up on his bed. "Sometimes I wonder how I got so lucky to be in a relationship with Antonio Dawson. It's every woman's dream in Chicago to be with you, and you chose me." She grabbed him by his belt buckle and she pulled him on top of her.

Their faces were inches apart and he shook his head. "And I'd choose you over and over again."

Sylvie smiled as her heart was pounding, she never felt so alive like she did right now. The effect Antonio had on her always amazed her. She moved her hands to the hem of his shirt and she pulled his shirt over his head. As she tossed his shirt on the floor, she trailed her fingertips down his chest towards his stomach.

She smirked as she saw the effect she had over him, loving that she had an effect over him like he had over her. She leaned forward and kissed him deeply.


	51. Chapter 51: Drive you Crazy

The next morning Sylvie felt the sun shining on her face and she opened her eyes. She smiled softly as she felt Antonio's arms around her and his heavy breathing letting her know he was still sleeping.

Last night was perfect. After they made love for hours, Antonio brought their dinner into his bedroom and they just talked about life, really. It was nice to not have to worry about their jobs or anything, and just focus on themselves.

Sylvie smiled as she heard Antonio's voice. "Good morning, beautiful."

"And what a good morning it is." She said as she turned over in his arms and kissed him softly. "Kind of sad to see it end though." She added once the kiss ended, knowing that they both had things to do today. Antonio had Diego and Sylvie had to go to work.

"I know, me too." He agreed. He placed his hand on her face and he let his thumb stroked her cheek softly.

Sylvie smiled softly. "But it was a perfect night though. Thanks to you."

Antonio smiled and he shook his head. "No. It was a perfect night thanks to the both of us. I mean, you just made it a better night by showing up in that dress." He remarked.

"So, you loved the dress, huh?" She said, teasingly. "Maybe I should wear that more often."

"Hell yes." He agreed. "But only when we're spending the night inside. I don't feel like kicking anyone's ass at the way they look at you." He grimaced as he thought about any guy looking at her in the dress she wore last night.

"Any reason I wore that dress in the first place was to drive you crazy." She pointed out. "I don't want anyone else seeing me in that dress besides you."

"Well, your plan succeeded, although it doesn't take much for you to drive me crazy." He said as he moved his hand off of her face and he pulled her closer to him. "I don't think you understand how beautiful you are."

"Then tell me how beautiful I am." Although Sylvie knew they should get out of bed so she could get ready for work and he could pick up Diego from his mom's place but she wanted to stay here in his arms for as long as she could.

Antonio smirked and he nodded his head. "You're the most beautiful woman in the world, and sometimes I'm surprised that you're with me." He confessed as Sylvie saw emotions spread over his face.

"Are you kidding me?" She asked. "I'm surprised that you're with me. You could be with anyone, yet here I am." She said, amazed.

"Did you ever think we would become a couple?" He asked with a smile on his face.

"Never. You were just my partner's incredibly hot brother."

"Hot, huh?" He asked as he leaned down and started pressing kisses on her neck.

"Oh yeah. So hot." She bit down on her lip to keep herself from moaning. Work, she had work, she kept reminding herself.

Antonio trailed kisses down her neck as he started kissing her collarbone.

"Stop." She warned him as she pushed him away.

"Make me." He threatened as he smirked at her.

"Go on, I dare you." She said in a bossy tone, which he found to be so hot. Damn. "I'll push you off the bed."

"You mean my bed?" He chuckled. "Then I'll never let you sleep over again." He threatened with a cute smile.

"Yeah, okay. Let's see how long that will last."

Antonio laughed as he shook his head. "But seriously, if I have to keep my hands to myself then let's get out of bed." He suggested, knowing that if they stayed in the bed, he was more likely to try something and next time, they both knew nothing could stop it.

"Sure." She said as she stood up from the bed, wrapping the sheet around her body. She froze, realizing that she forgot to bring her bag from her car last night. "Crap." She whispered.

"What?" He asked as he headed towards his dresser and he took out his clothes for the day. He was happy he was off from work, but he was sad that he couldn't spend his day with Sylvie, although he would have Diego so at least that was good.

"I left my bag in the car. I meant to bring it up last night but it didn't feel romantic bringing a bag to date night." She grinned at him.

Antonio chuckled as he tossed his shirt at her. He then buckled up his jeans as he shook his head, amused. "I thought you had other clothes here?" He questioned.

"I did." She slipped the shirt over her head. "But I'm in the process of washing the clothes." She explained.

Antonio nodded his head as he slipped his shirt over his head. As he turned around and looked at Sylvie, she had a frowned on her face. "What?" He asked puzzled.

"You put a shirt on." She said as she walked over to him. "Sad to see our night end." She placed her hands on his chest and she leaned in and kissed him.

As she pulled away, she looked at him. "Can I borrow a pair of boxers? Just wearing a shirt isn't keeping me warm."

"Oh, I can keep you warm." He grinned seductively at her.

"Stop." She said, hitting his chest. "Don't make me late for work." She pleaded with her boyfriend, although being late for work because she was with Antonio wouldn't be a bad thing.

"Okay. Sorry." He apologized but she could tell from his smile he wasn't sorry. He walked over to his dresser and he took out a pair of boxers. He walked over to her and he handed it to her. "I just wish you didn't have to go to work."

"I know." She sighed as took the pair of boxers to him. "You probably won't get your shirt back, sorry, but I'll make sure you get the boxers back."

Antonio chuckled. "Soon I'm going to have to go shopping for more shirts. You keep taking all mine." He shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but how else can I get through a 24-hour shift without you? Your shirt smells like you and it keeps me calm." She explained with a smile.

He smirked as he shook his head. As soon as she was done putting on his boxers, he walked over to her and he crashed his lips against hers in a passion kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

As their kiss heated up, there was a knocked on the door. Antonio pulled away, groaning. "Next time I move, I'm not telling anyone where I moved to."

"Oh shut up." She laughed. "Whoever it is just saved me from being late for work. Go answer it." She urged him as she walked out of the bedroom with him.

She allowed Antonio to head over and answer the door. Once she heard Gabby and Matt's voices, she jolted behind the wall, not wanting Gabby and Matt to see her wearing Antonio's clothes. It made seem like it was silly, but she didn't want anyone to know what her and Antonio were up to last night.

As she stayed against the wall, she hoped they wouldn't stay long because she needed to get ready to head to work, but she wanted to spend as much time with Antonio as she could before she left.


	52. Chapter 52: Choose you

"Sylvie, stop." Antonio said with a serious face, but a few seconds later he started laughing.

It was one of those rare moments they both had off from work, and the kids were off doing their own thing, probably hanging out with friends, so they the evening all to themselves.

Sylvie was in an extremely happy mood, Antonio just had that effect on her. And it helped that he was also happy and relaxed. When Sylvie got into these moods, she was very playful.

"I'm not doing anything." She said defensively with a smile.

Antonio paused for a second to studied her smile. Every time she flashed her smile at him, it always made his heart skip a beat. To say he is in love with Sylvie would be an understatement. Everyone could tell just by the way he looked at her, just by the way he acted towards her.

Coming back to reality, more because she started tickling him again. He reached down and grabbed her hands.

"Sylvie, stop." He said in a much firmer tone.

"You're no fun." She sat up and started pouting, causing Antonio to laugh. He always found it adorable when she started pouting because most of the time she wasn't even sad.

"Oh stop it." He said as he sat up and he kissed her forehead. "You know I'm loads of fun girl."

"I just don't think you love me." Sylvie said as she tried to stand up but he grabbed her arm. "Let me go."

"Never." The look of glint in his eyes told her that he wasn't talking about his hold on her arm.

"Go on, tell me. Tell me that you don't love me." She said teasingly.

As soon as she saw the emotions in his eyes, she realized maybe she shouldn't have said that. Before she could say anything though, he pulled her down on the couch and he started attacking her face with kisses.

Sylvie started giggling as she tried to push him away, but truthfully, she was loving it. "Antonio!" She squealed in surprise. "I can't breathe."

Antonio smirked against her neck and he shook his head. "You can only blame yourself."

She smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "If this is my punishment—I should tease you more often."

Antonio laughed as he pulled away from her neck, as he looked down at her. "And you said you were a good girl."

"I think my good girl image went out the window when I seduced you." She reminded him.

"That is true." He said as he thought back to that night; to the first time they slept together. "Great night though."

"It certainly was." She agreed as she thought back on that night with a smile on her face. "It was the beginning of something special."

Antonio nodded his head as his expression turned serious. Sylvie, thinking something was wrong, placed her hand on his face. "Hey, what's wrong?" She was worried that she said something to upset him.

"No no, everything is fine. Perfect even." He reassured her as he repositioned himself so that he was laying next to her instead of leaning on top of her. "After my divorce, I was content just being a detective and a father. I didn't know what I was missing until you came along." He shook his head. "I was just thinking how much I love you and how lucky I am to have a second chance at love."

"I always feel like I'm the lucky one. You could love anyone yet you chose me." Sylvie smiled as she took her hand off his face and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I'll always choose you, baby. Forever." He smiled as he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

A few seconds later, she jumped up suddenly. Antonio sat up puzzled. "Babe, what are you doing? I was relaxing." He groaned.

"Sorry." She apologized as she looked at Antonio. "But I forgot I wanted to cook us dinner tonight and I need to start it now."

"Can we just order in?" He questioned. "It's not every day that we can just enjoy each other without the outside world wanting our attention." He pointed out.

"I know, Antonio. But it's also not every day that I can cook for you." She leaned down and kissed him softly. "I promise I'll make it up to you later."

Antonio kissed her back and he nodded his head. "Fine, but later, you're all mine."

"I'm always all yours." She grinned as she headed into the kitchen as she started to prepare for dinner, leaving Antonio alone in the living room.

As much as he knew his life wasn't perfect, and it never would be, as long as he had that beautiful woman in his life, his life was great.


	53. Chapter 53: There's My Baby

**A/N In these mini stories , I will use different ages for different experiences. Only when it comes to telling about a baby which won't be in every story of mine. Enjoy!**

"Mama mama mama." Sylvie smiled as she heard her 1 ½ year old daughter babbling to herself. Sometimes she said things that Sylvie couldn't understand but in moments like these, she understood what she was saying.

Julie woke her up at the crack of dawn, and because Antonio just won a hard case, she didn't want to wake him up. But she also didn't want to move from the bed yet. After she got up and grabbed Julie from her bed, she laid back down with her on her chest. Instead of her falling back to sleep, her precious daughter had other plans. She was playing with Sylvie's hair as she kept muttering her name.

Hearing his daughter voice, Antonio turned on his side to face his wife and daughter and he laughed at her reaction to seeing her father.

"Dada Dada Dada." She said excitedly, reaching her arms out to him and climbing over Sylvie to get to him at the same time.

Antonio, never being able to deny his daughter love, quickly reached over and pulled her in his arms. He smiled as she grabbed a fist fold of his hair, wincing in pain. "Julie, my hair. Easy." He grinned as she loosened her grip but still kept her hold on his hair.

"I'm sorry." Sylvie apologized to her husband. "We—well I didn't want to wake you up."

Antonio shook his head. "Are you kidding me? That is one thing you never have to apologize to me for. I love waking up to you guys."

With every little kid, they usually have a parent they preferred but not Julie. She was always content with Antonio or Sylvie. She was both a mommy and daddy's little girl and she took full advantage of that.

"I'm so glad that we have the day off together." Sylvie said with a huge smile. "Is there anything you want to do?" She asked Antonio as she moved closer to him and rested her head against his shoulder as Julie laid on his chest, playing with his hair. It still amazed Sylvie that she had a daughter, and with Antonio Dawson of all people. But it was a good amazement, because he was such a good father, better than good, he was a great father. Even when he was stressed over a case, he always came home and took in with parent duties and never complained about being tired. To her, he was her hero and she thanked her lucky stars the way her life worked out.

"I was thinking it's such a beautiful day out, we can take a walk to the park and on the way home stop for some ice cream?" He asked. "But I don't want to stay out too long because I want to cook dinner tonight."

"Oh, you're cooking dinner, huh? What's the special occasion?" Although Sylvie kept her job as a paramedic, she had the option of working 24 hours like before or cutting it down to 12 hours, of course she picked the latter. She didn't want to miss too much time from her daughter.

Everyone always questioned why she was still working since Antonio made enough money to provide for them, but Sylvie was never that type of woman. As much as she would have loved being a stay at home mom, she knew it would drive her crazy. Sometimes she felt guilty because she felt like she was choosing a career over her daughter, and she often cried to Antonio about it, but he made her see that she was making the right decision. That it was possible to have a career and be a wonderful mother. Besides, she wanted Julie to see that it would be possible for her too.

Antonio shrugged his shoulders as he ran his hands up and down Julie's back, causing a yawn from her. "Nothing special. Well, actually every day spent with my family is a special occasion, however, it's not every day I can cook for you guys." Antonio looked over at Sylvie and he smiled at her. "Unless you wanted to cook?" He questioned.

Sylvie shook her head. "No. I'd never say no for you to cook." She looked over at her daughter as she saw that she was getting sleepy. "I better cook her something to eat before she falls asleep."

"How long was she up?" He questioned as he looked down at his daughter as she placed her thumb in her mouth, a sign that she was tired.

She looked over at the clock and then looked back at Antonio. "Two hours." She said as she reluctantly climbed out of bed. "Hand her over, please." She was afraid that if she left Julie in here with Antonio, they would both end up falling asleep.

She smiled as Antonio handed Julie to Sylvie. "I can cook her breakfast, you know?" Antonio said to Sylvie. "You don't have to do everything."

"I know, baby. But I also want you to relax. It's your day off."

"It's yours too." He pointed out.

"Tell daddy to relax." She turned her attention on her daughter.

"Is this how it's going to be? When you want me to do something, you're going to get our daughter to agree with you?" He asked teasingly.

"Yup. Breakfast will be done shortly though, so come downstairs once you're ready."

"Okay. I'll be right down." He said to his wife as he stood up, knowing he just wanted to freshen up before heading downstairs.

Julie was in the phase that whenever someone left the room, mostly Sylvie and Antonio, she needed to blow them kisses to let them know she loved them. Since she barely talked, she felt the need to let them know in other ways. She moved her tiny hand up to her face and blew Antonio kisses as Sylvie walked out of the room.

Sylvie laughed, finding her daughter absolutely precious. She was like a mini Antonio, with her dark curly hair, but she had Sylvie's blue eyes. She was a great combination of them both truly.

"Daddy will be right down, sweetie." Sylvie promised her daughter as she walked downstairs and stopped to put Julie down on the floor to play. She walked over to the steps and moved the gate over to secure it in place. She was a good baby, but if Sylvie or Antonio was upstairs, she wanted to follow them.

After making sure her daughter was safe and playing, she walked in the kitchen and took the things out to prepare for breakfast.

As she was beginning to make breakfast, her thoughts went on to her family. Although her and Antonio got married because she found out she was pregnant, she agreed to his proposal because she loved him and knew that he loved her back. Their wedding was done in a hurry because Sylvie refused to get married fat and didn't want to wait until the baby was born. But they both agreed to have a big wedding later on, actually that was the only way Antonio agreed to do it in a hurry. He felt like she deserved a big wedding and didn't want to cheapen it. So, she agreed that when their life settles with the baby, they would do it all over again. Now Sylvie wanted to wait a little more since Julie can be their flower girl.

She thought back on when she found out about being pregnant. She was terrified because her and Antonio were only dating for a few short months, and thought he was done with kids and didn't want anymore. Once she told him, he was ecstatic. His reaction surprised her but she was happy of course. Picking on a name was hard because whatever name he liked, she didn't, and whatever name she liked, he didn't. It was a constant battle until Antonio mentioned Julie. He said that he didn't want to say it until he got her husband's approval since he didn't feel right. Although their daughter's name was in remembrance of her, they ended up naming her Juliette.

—

After breakfast, Antonio walked over to Julie's high chair and picked her up. "Sit down." He ordered his wife as she stood up, knowing it was Julie's nap time. "I got this. Sometimes you really need to let your husband do a few things." He smiled softly at her.

A thought occurred to her when he said that. "You know I trust her with you, right? It isn't because I feel like you're going to hurt her or do something—" He shook his head and interrupted her.

"I know, Sylvie. I would never think that." He reassured her. He walked over to her and kissed her forehead.

Sylvie stood up from her chair to give her a daughter a kiss. "Sweet dreams baby."

She smiled as she leaned back and watched as Antonio walked away and headed upstairs towards her nursery. When Sylvie found out she was pregnant and after their small wedding, they both agreed they needed to move to a house because both of their apartments were too small to raise a baby. Especially when Antonio's kids visit for the weekend or longer.

As she started to clean up from breakfast, her thoughts went to them. Sylvie was so nervous telling them about the baby, simply because she didn't want them to think Antonio was trying to replace them. But luckily, they took the news pretty well. Eva was a little tricky but Sylvie invited her to accompany her to one of her appointments and as soon as she heard the baby's heartbeat, she was in love. Diego didn't care just because he knew Antonio could have 5 kids with Sylvie and he still would have time for them. She realized it also helped that they knew Sylvie wasn't planning on taking Antonio from them.

As soon as she finished tidying up the kitchen and living room, she started wondering where Antonio was. Julie usually fell asleep within minutes and because of how tired she was, she knew it would be faster today. But 30 minutes passed and Antonio was still upstairs.

She walked upstairs and headed for her daughter's nursery. As she opened the door, she noticed that both Antonio and Julie were nowhere to be found. That was strange, Julie always napped alone. As she closed her door, she headed towards her and Antonio's bedroom and she opened the door. Her heart melted at the sight of them. Antonio was sleeping with Julie on his chest. She hadn't seen this sight since Julie was only a few months old. She was about to head for her phone when Antonio's voice stopped her.

"Are you just going to stand there watching us, or are you going to come and join us in bed?" Leave it up to Antonio to notice her staring at them without opening his eyes.

"I thought you wanted to take a walk to the park?" She questioned but she still walked over to the bed and smiled softly when Antonio reached out his arm to her.

"We can still go, I just want to be close to my family right now." He admitted.

Sylvie smiled as she climbed into bed and laid her head on his shoulder. Her smile grew wider when his arm wrapped around her tightly. Honestly, she could lay in the bed all day with them and she would feel blissfully happy. She never thought this kind of happiness existed.

"You're too sweet." She laughed at the look on his face when she said that.

"I am not sweet." He smiled as he looked down at his daughter and then looked over at his wife. "Okay maybe I am, but only to my family." He added a second later.

Sylvie smiled as she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you. Just for everything. For loving me, for supporting me, for making me feel special every single day. All of this can be difficult, you know? Being a mother while balancing a career but you make it easy."

"It seems to me you're thanking me for being a good husband. That's something you never have to thank me for." He leaned down and kissed her head.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I know, I just think it's important to let you know that you are appreciated."

Antonio smiled and he nodded his head. A few minutes later, they were both asleep.

—

Sylvie woke up to Julie pulling on her hair. "Ow, Julie!" She whispered loudly so she can hear her but she was careful on not waking up Antonio. "Why must you go for my hair when you want me awake?" She asked her daughter, but in a sweet tone.

She looked over at Antonio who was still fast asleep, smiling at his peaceful face. It wasn't always that he was so peaceful, so she didn't want to wake him up, yet again.

She figured she could get Julie ready for the park and when Antonio woke up they could go. She looked over at the clock and saw that it was 1:00. Still plenty of time to enjoy some family time before Antonio wanted them home so he could cook dinner.

She lifted her daughter in her arms and she carefully stood from the bed. "Shh, daddy is sleeping." She warned her daughter, knowing she'd want to say bye to Antonio.

She walked out of the room and she walked in her nursery to change her into an outfit for the day.

After she was done, she walked downstairs and placed her on the floor. "Hide seek!" Julie said, clapping her hands. She laughed, it was her favorite game and always wanted to play it.

"Okay, mommy will count and you hide, okay?" She said to her daughter, knowing she needed to distract her until Antonio woke up and was ready anyway.

"Otay!" Julie said as she ran to hide, looking for a good spot to hide.

Sylvie laughed as she walked in the kitchen counting to 5 in her head. As soon as she was done counting, she walked back in the living room.

She was stopped by Antonio coming downstairs. "Hey babe. We're already whenever you are."

"Okay." He nodded his head. He looked around for his daughter. "Where's Julie?" He asked.

Sylvie knew her favorite hiding spot. It was the place she hid mostly all the time. Only because she felt like felt like no one could find her. The first time she hid there it took Sylvie 20 minutes to find her.

"She's hiding behind the sofa." She whispered to her husband with a smile. "I'll give it a few more seconds before I find her." The last thing she wanted to do was find her easily and upset her.

Antonio stood there, shaking his head. He smiled softly at Sylvie. "You're such an amazing mother." He complimented her. She knew how much hiding meant to Julie, and instead of growing frustrated that she picked the same spots, she allowed her to think that she was a good hider.

Sylvie shrugged her shoulders. She knew she was a good mother, but she always felt self-conscious about it because she always felt like she could be better in some aspects.

"I wonder where Julie can be." Sylvie said a few seconds later. "Julie." Sylvie said, trying to keep up with appearances, thinking she can't find her. She grinned as she heard her little soft giggles behind the sofa. And a few seconds later she jumped out.

"Me!" She laughed as she jumped in her arms.

"There is my baby!" She grinned as she adjusted her on her hip. "Are you ready to go for a walk with mommy and daddy?" She asked her daughter.

Julie loved spending time with her parents, so of course she was excited that they were spending the day together. "Yay!" She said, clapping her hands.

Sylvie watched as Antonio walked over to them with a jacket for Julie. "It's not bad out, but it's still chilly out so a jacket should keep her warm." He explained and Sylvie nodded her head.

After she was ready, Sylvie handed Julie to Antonio and she put on her jacket. She smiled when she walked over to them and Julie was giving Antonio kisses.

"No fair, Julie. You give daddy kisses, but not mommy?" Sylvie jokingly teased.

She smiled as she reached for her and Sylvie took her from Antonio. She grinned when Julie started placing wet kisses on her cheek. "Uh, thanks." She laughed.

"You asked for it, babe." Antonio pointed out with a laugh. "I'll grab the stroller. Are we ready?"

"Yes, we are." She smiled as she headed for the door but was stopped by Antonio.

"I love you both so much." He said with a smile. He was insanely in love with his family, and felt like telling them every day they would realize just how much.

"We love you too, so much. Forever." She smiled as she opened the door and walked out.

If anyone told her when she first started working at the firehouse that in a few years she would have a daughter, and much less with her partner and best friend's brother she would call them crazy. Yet, here she was, married to Antonio and they shared a wonderful daughter. Their lives may not be perfect, with their jobs and their constant busy schedules, but to her, as long as they had each other, it couldn't get better than this.


	54. Chapter 54: Stay

Antonio just got done his shift and knew he was in desperate need of a beer. Luckily Stone and the others were busy tonight so he was on his own. He needed that peace to collect his thoughts. It felt like all he was doing lately was convincing others and himself that he was fine, but truth was, he was just going through the motions of life, trying to survive the breakup, but he wasn't really living life.

As he walked in Molly's, he noticed Gabby behind the bar. Although he wanted to be alone, Gabby was a welcome distraction since he was always happy to see his baby sister. With their busy schedules, it was hard to find time to talk and catch up. It was funny, he felt like he knew more about his sister's life when he was dating Sylvie. He shook the thoughts from his mind as he walked over to the bar and sat down on the stool.

"Hey sis." He greeted her with a smile, an action she reciprocated. The bond the siblings share were always so strong. "Just a beer."

"I'm surprised to see you here." She admitted before she went off and grabbed him a beer. Once she came back over to him, she placed the beer in front of him. "I heard you were working on a big case so I thought after shift, you would head home." She added.

Antonio shrugged his shoulders. "Just needed to clear my head." He explained. "How are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm doing good." She studied his face, wondering how he was doing after the breakup with Sylvie. Knowing her brother, if she asked him he would say he was fine.

"What?" He questioned, noticing the look on her face.

"What do you mean 'what?'? Nothing. Can't I just look at my brother?" She asked slightly annoyed.

Antonio laughed, shaking his head. "I know you, Gabby. Whenever you have that look on your face, it's something."

"I wanted to ask you how you're doing, since you know—-but knowing you, you'll say you're fine."

"I am fine." He promised. "We gave it our best shot, it didn't work out. It's life, all we can do is move on."

"I'm glad you said that." Gabby said, looking relieved. "I mean, I wanted to warn you first anyway." Although Jason only flirted with Sylvie for a brief second, and Sylvie just laughed and didn't give in to the flirting, she was tired of being in the middle of their stubbornness. If this meant lying, they'll both forgive her. "There is a new firefighter at 51, and Sylvie seems interested in him."

Antonio sat there for a second, not saying anything. He lifted his beer and before he took a sip, he said, "Good for her. She deserves to be happy." After the words left his mouth, he took the sip of his beer, wishing he chose to go home instead of coming to Molly's.

"So, it doesn't bother you?" She asked, looking at his face for any clue of his emotions.

"Gabby…" Antonio warned. "Don't do that. I walked away from her because my life is so messy. My job may have settled down slightly, but my personal life hasn't. Laura—"He stopped talking when he saw Gabby shaking her head.

"Look, I stayed silent for the most part. And honestly, it's your life, you want to be miserable, that's on you. But you can't keep using Laura as an excuse. You left Sylvie because you thought she was going to tell you that your life is too much to handle. So, before you got hurt, you left." Gabby said as she poured herself a shot and downed it. "It's true, so don't argue with me."

Antonio was about to open his mouth to say something but he closed it. He didn't want to sit here and argue with Gabby. "Thought you didn't want to get in the middle of it?" He questioned.

"I don't and I'm not." She promised. "So, are you really okay with Sylvie moving on?" She asked softly.

He glared at her. "I never said I was. But I also can't be the jealous ex-boyfriend when I ended things." He pointed out. "And like I said, my life hasn't gotten easier and it never will. I can never put Sylvie first like she deserves."

"Maybe not." She agreed. "But Sylvie also never asked. She knew you had kids, and isn't that the whole reason why Laura got pissed in the first place and turned into the protective mama bear? Because Sylvie understood that and instead of being distant with your kids, she wanted to spend time with them?" She questioned. She knew if Antonio was going to listen to anyone, it would be Gabby. "And just for the record, you walking away from her proved that you agreed with Laura."

"I never agreed with Laura, and I gave her a piece of my mind with that stunt she pulled." He sighed. "I didn't come here to talk about Sylvie."

"Fine." Gabby nodded her head. "When do you the kids?" She asked, switching the topic to something she knew made Antonio feel better.

And just like that, a smile appeared on his face. "Tomorrow. I'm taking them to the movies." He began to tell Gabby his plans.

"Tell them that Tia Gabby misses them." She said.

"Of course, sis."

—–

The next day was spent with his kids, and luckily, it turned out to be a great day. It was exactly the kind of day that Antonio needed to keep his mind off of Sylvie. Ever since Gabby told him that Sylvie was interested in that firefighter, he couldn't stop thinking about her. As much as he missed Sylvie, if she could be with someone that could put her first, who was he to ruin that? The few months he spent with Sylvie, he knew she deserved all the happiness in the world.

Yet all that kept playing in his mind was that he wanted to be that guy. Lately, he started realizing how much he missed Sylvie, and how much he missed being happy around her. But he was doing the right thing, right?

"Hey dad." Eva said, grabbing her father's attention. They were enjoying a home cooked meal Antonio made but Antonio was too distracted to enjoy the taste of the meal, his mind on Sylvie. "I was wondering if it was okay if I hang out with my friends tonight?" She asked softly.

"Of course. Just be home by 11." He instructed. Laura hated the kids being out when he had them, but he wasn't going to keep his kids locked inside. Unless they were grounded, then that's a different situation obviously.

"Thanks dad." Eva smiled at him, something she did so rarely lately, so whenever she did, it made Antonio feel happy, like at least he was doing something right.

"I might go out for a few hours too then." Diego said.

"The same rules apply to you like I said to Eva." He trusted his kids, and knew they weren't going to get into any trouble. And it would be good for him since he wouldn't have to entertain them tonight and he could focus on why he couldn't stop thinking of Sylvie.

Once they were done eating, Antonio started to clear the tables. Since Eva was getting her way tonight, she wanted to do the dishes before she left.

Antonio was about to head out of the kitchen when he paused and looked at Eva. "Hey Eva?" He asked, getting her attention.

"Yeah dad?" He could tell in her tone that she was hoping it wasn't asking anything bad, or even saying he changed his mind.

"This may be a few months too late to ask—but did you like Sylvie?" He asked.

Eva looked surprised at the question but a few seconds later, she nodded her head. "Yes. But I guess it confused me because I wanted you and mom back together. But then again, what teenager doesn't want their parents back together?"

He frowned as he took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, sweetie. But I'm afraid that's never going to happen."

"I know. But I used to hear all these awful stories from my friends about when their dad started to date again and their new girlfriend being mean. So, I was always cautious with Sylvie. Although I met her a few times through Tia Gabby, it's different when she becomes your father's girlfriend. But I started to really like her when I saw how much trouble she was going through to learn to play Chess for Diego."

Antonio nodded his head as he took in his daughter's words. As he started to head out of the kitchen, he was stopped by Eva.

"Are you getting back with Sylvie?" Antonio was surprised to see her eyes with filled with hope. And hated to be the one to crush her heart.

He shook his head, sadly. "I'm sorry, but no." He didn't want to tell his daughter that he made a huge mistake and because of that, he lost Sylvie for good.

—-

A few hours passed by and Eva and Diego were with their friends. He thought it would be good for them to get out so he could think alone but now he realized how much he needed not to think. He wanted to go over to Sylvie's apartment and just talk to her, but he didn't have that right. Not only did he hurt her badly, but he hurt himself and for what?

As he was watching a game on TV, his mind distracted, he heard a knock on the door. His first thought went to the kids, thinking one of them just forgot their keys. He stood up and headed towards the door. He unlocked it and swung it open. He was surprised to see Sylvie on the other side of the door.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" He questioned and realized that it may have come out the wrong way. "I mean—I wasn't expecting you."

"I know. I don't even know why I'm here. Maybe this was a mistake." As she turned to walk away, Antonio grabbed her hand.

"Don't go. Just—-at least let me know why you came here in the first place." Antonio moved to the side to let her in.

As Sylvie entered the apartment, she was reminded of all the memories she shared with Antonio in this apartment. It was weird, she wasn't with Antonio that long, but her favorite memories were with him.

The apartment was filled with awkward silence as Antonio closed the door behind her. He wondered if she was here to tell him that their chances of 'checking in' were off the table. It wasn't fair to her anyway.

"I heard about you and the new firefighter." Antonio decided to just let her know that he knew she was moving on, or at least trying to. It may make things more awkward, but she was here to tell him this anyway, right?

Sylvie looked at him with a puzzled look on her face. "New Firefighter? You mean Jason?" She asked.

Antonio shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know his name." He felt stupid mentioning it since he didn't know his name, but maybe knowing his name would make him look even more like a jealous ex-boyfriend, he wasn't sure. He was never in this situation before.

Sylvie crossed her arms across her chest. "And what exactly did you hear?" She questioned. She wasn't mad at him, not exactly, but wondered what rumors were flying around Chicago about her.

"Not much. Just that you were interested in him. If you're here to make sure I'm okay, rest assure, I'm fine." Antonio promised with a little attitude as he walked over to the couch.

"That's not why I'm here." Sylvie told him. "And whoever gave you that info is a liar. I'm not interested in him, I'm not interested in anyone at the firehouse."

Through clenched teeth, Antonio spat out. "Gabby." He couldn't believe he fell into her game. She wanted to see how much he still cared, and obviously with how he was reacting, he still cared, he cared a lot in fact.

Sylvie dropped her arms to her sides and she laughed. "You listened to Gabby and her lies?" She shook her head. "She told you that I was interested in him?"

"She just told me that you seem interested in him and I told her that you deserve to be happy. I keep forgetting that the one person who truly knows me most is Gabby." He sighed.

"Even if I was, why do you care? We're broken up." She asked him the one question he was asking himself since last night. But why was he asking himself this question, he knew. And he knew more surely now as she stood so close to him. They may have had some distance between them, but it was the closest they have been since their breakup.

Antonio walked over to her and he closed the distance. "I think you know the answer to that question." He whispered softly.

He was so close to her that she could smell his aftershave and soap. She had to focus on his talking. "I don't." Although she had a feeling she did, she wanted to hear the words from his lips.

Antonio sighed as he backed away from her to give her some space. "I didn't end things between us because I didn't care. It was the opposite, I cared so much about you and you deserved better what I can give you."

Sylvie felt like they were going around in circles, every time she felt like they were growing closer, he kept saying she deserved better, it was driving her crazy.

"But I also know there was another reason why I broke up with you. Something that, I, myself didn't realize until Gabby pointed it out to me."

Sylvie hoped that this was something good for them, even hope would make her happy. She didn't come here to get back together with Antonio, but even if she left with a little hope, she would be happy. "Why?" She hated talking about that night. It was the worst night of her life. And the bad part about that night was that she had to make an appearance at Gabby and Matt's party when all she wanted to do was cry herself to sleep.

"We never talked much about my divorce with Laura—but I didn't want the divorce. I wanted to fight for my marriage. I mean, that isn't so surprising since I'm a family man, but in the end, it still happened. I guess I thought it was too much for you to handle. Laura, the kids, my job. So, before I got hurt again, I bailed."

When the breakup happened, she knew Antonio wasn't okay just like she wasn't. But she never thought he was more hurt than she was. Since he broke up with her, she thought he wanted this. But maybe instead of letting him walk away, she should have fought, should have made him realize that walking away from him was never what she planned on doing.

"Antonio." She said as she walked closer to him, grabbing his hands. "I can see where you would think I was going to leave, but that thought never occurred in my mind. We had a fight, Antonio. It was our first, sure, but I hate to tell you, it won't be our last. We may get into some silly arguments about what's for dinner, or something serious like Laura, but that doesn't mean my first thought would be 'I can't handle this.' I shouldn't have yelled at you over Laura, it wasn't your fault. You can't control Laura and I knew what I was getting into."

"I'm sorry." He apologized as he pulled her in his arms. He nuzzled in her neck as he breathed in her scent, a scent that he missed so much over the last few months.

Sylvie pulled a few seconds later. "You aren't getting off that easy."

Antonio nodded his head. "I know I shouldn't have ended things— "His voice trailed off when he saw Sylvie shaking her head.

"No, not that. How can you think I would move on so fast?" She questioned.

"Well, it wasn't so fast. We were broken up for a while." He pointed out. "And because I figured if Gabby was saying it, it was true."

"Lesson learned, right?" She grinned as she placed her hand on his face. "I want you. Only you." She promised as she leaned in and kissed him gently.

Antonio pulled away after a few seconds. "Sorry, I just wanted to let you know that I have the kids tonight. They're out with their friends."

"Maybe we should continue this later then?" She suggested.

"I think that's for the best." He nodded his head. "I'm sorry." He apologized.

"Hey, it's okay." She smiled softly. "I think we should take things slow anyway." She leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"Can you stay?" He asked.

"What about the kids?" She wasn't sure what he told the kids about their breakup, but the last thing she wanted to do was confuse them any further.

"Oh please, the kids would love to see you." He promised her. "But if you feel like this is too fast, I can just see you tomorrow."

"Maybe it won't be best if I spend the night—-because if I'm in your arms, I can't promise to keep my hands to myself—but I can stay for a few hours."

"Sylvie. I don't want you leaving late though." He laughed at her rolling her eyes at his remark.

"I'll be fine." She grabbed his hand and walked over to the couch. "Let's watch a movie."

"Okay." He smiled as he sat down next to her. He looked down at her confused as she started laughing.

"I can't believe you were jealous over a guy you never met."

Antonio shook his head, he had a feeling Sylvie was never going to let him live this down. "You would have been jealous too if you heard I was interested in someone else. Don't even lie."

"Oh, that won't even happen." Sylvie shook her head. "I won't let it. I'll shut that down before it even starts."

He laughed at her tone. He moved his hands down and started tickling her. He smiled as he heard her giggles.

"Antonio, stop!" He grinned and a few seconds later, he stopped tickling her.

"Don't sound so confident now." He laughed.

Sylvie smiled and she shook her head. She moved over on his lap and started straddling him. "I am confident that you're mine."

Antonio smiled as he looked her in his eyes. "I am now?"

"Yes." She leaned forward and kissed him deeply. This time the kiss lingered for a minute but Sylvie pulled away.

"Movie time?" She asked as she got off his lap and sat next to him. As she was scanning the channels for a movie, Antonio couldn't help but stare at her. He knew she deserved all the happiness in the world and he was going to make sure he gave it to her.


	55. Chapter 55: Help

**A/N I was requested to write a story of Eva getting assaulted so warning, please don't read if you can't handle abuse. Otherwise, enjoy!**

It was Sylvie's day off and one that she needed. She was physically tired and Stella invited her for drinks later but she declined that offer since she needed to rest up. It's been a few months since she and Antonio broke up, but she was finally feeling better, but that also meant Stella and Gabby were constantly trying to set her up with someone and she didn't want that tonight.

She planned on watching movies all night and then head to bed early since she was back to work tomorrow. She put on her pajamas and was in the kitchen making some snacks when her cell phone started ringing.

"Damn, I knew I should have turned off my phone." She was only worried that if she turned off her phone, an emergency would happen and she wouldn't know it. But right now she wanted some alone. As she carried the bowl of chips in the living room, she rushed over to her phone. Not noticing the number, she answered it right away.

"Hello?" She asked breathless since she rushed to answer the call. At first no one was talking but she could hear someone breathing. "Hello? Who is this?" 'Great' she thought. She was home all alone and now was getting creepy calls. Before she could say anything else or even attempt to hang up, she heard a voice, it was faint and if it was loud in her house, she wouldn't have heard it.

"Help me." The person on the other line said. "Please, Sylvie."

"Eva?" She was surprised that Eva kept her number saved in her phone or that she called her since Antonio and Sylvie broke up. But those thoughts washed away when she heard the panic in Eva's voice. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

"No…" She could hear Eva sniffing.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Sylvie wondered why Eva called her in a time of need, instead of Laura, her own mother. For someone who acted like Mama bear, it didn't seem like her kids turned to her for help much.

"Don't tell my dad." Now Eva was sobbing, and Sylvie could barely understand her. But she did catch the dad part.

"I won't. Just tell me where you are." Sylvie knew if Antonio needed to be called, she would call him. But right now she needed Eva to trust her to get her safe.

"I—No. No. Get away!" Eva screamed in fear of whoever came near her.

"Eva! Eva!" Before she could hear anything else, the line went dead.

So much for her relaxing night alone.

The problem was, she had no clue where Eva was, and the only person who could find her was her ex boyfriend. She hadn't talked to Antonio since the breakup, maybe a hi here, unless she was the paramedic involved with one of his cases, but that was it. The last thing she wanted to do was tell Antonio his daughter was in trouble.

Then Gabby came to mind. She could call Gabby and explained the situation and maybe she didn't have to get involved. Gabby could tell Antonio. Sylvie dialed Gabby's number and waited for her to answer.

5 rings later and no answer. She was tempted to call Matt but then thought against it. He and Gabby were probably having date night and that was why Gabby didn't answer her calls.

If Eva wasn't in trouble and her life depended on getting to Antonio, she wouldn't have cared about calling Antonio. But Eva needed Antonio. And Sylvie was the only person that could save her right now.

As she dialed Antonio's number, she thought against it. This news needed to come face-to-face. No father should have to hear bad news about their daughter over a phone call, much less a father like Antonio.

After changing quickly into a jeans a t shirt, she made sure the food she was cooking on the stove was turned off. She slipped on her jacket, then she grabbed her keys and purse and headed out of the door.

—

Walking into the Justice building, she felt out of place. She wasn't Antonio's girlfriend, had no relations to him, yet she needed to see him. She knew she shouldn't have felt tense since Eva needed him, and if Sylvie kept Antonio from this news, he would never forgive her. If something happened to Eva, Antonio would never forgive Sylvie, she knew this. Still, she felt uncomfortable being the one giving him the news.

As she walked up to the secretary that motored who came in and who came out of the building, she took in a deep breath and let it out before she talked. " Good afternoon. I'm Sylvie Brett. I need to see States investigator Antonio Dawson."

The woman behind the desk looked up at Sylvie and rolled her eyes, clearly bored at her appearance. "So do the rest of Chicago. Take a seat and I'll let—"

Before the woman could finish her sentence, a man spoke over her. "Excuse me? But is that a way to greet someone?"

As Sylvie looked over at the man talking, she realized it was Antonio's boss, Peter Stone. Great, the last thing she wanted was to explain why she was here to him before she let Antonio know. Then again, they could be in the middle of a big case and Sylvie was interrupting them.

Peter turned his head to look at Sylvie."Is everything okay?" He asked, his expression turning soft.

"Uh–" Sylvie pushed her strain of hair behind her ears, a habit she did when she was nervous. "I need to talk to Antonio Dawson, it's about his daughter." At least she didn't say what was going on exactly.

Stone nodded his head, knowing that Antonio needed to hear this. "Come follow me." He instructed Sylvie, who nodded her head in appreciation.

"I'm sorry, I would have called—but this is urgent." She apologized.

"No, no. I'm sure since you came here, it's urgent." Stone led her through a door and Sylvie's eyes landed on Antonio. He looked exhausted and the last thing she wanted to do was stress out Antonio more. But it isn't like she hurt Eva, she needed to find her.

Antonio's eyes locked on Sylvie and he immediately stood up. Since the breakup, Sylvie hasn't even text him. So, whatever reason why she was here, he knew it was important.

"Sylvie?" Antonio's eyes turned to concerned. "Is everything okay? Is it Gabby?" It made more sense that Sylvie was here with bad news of Gabby since she was her best friend, why would he expect she had any contact with Eva? It wasn't like they were close even when they were dating.

"Gabby's fine." His demeanor changed and he started to relax. "It's Eva. I need you to trace her phone."

"What?" Antonio felt like the wind was knocked out of him. "Why? What's wrong with my daughter?"

Sylvie knew calming him down would be best but then again, Eva was in danger. She wasn't going to make it sound like she was fine when clearly, she wasn't. "I don't know." She admitted. "Look, I'll tell you the details later but right now, it's important that we find her. She's in danger, Antonio."

Antonio nodded his head, trying to stay calm. "Okay. I'll get my tech guy to trace her phone."

Laura stood up from her desk and walked over to Antonio and Sylvie. "Sylvie, right?"

Sylvie looked over at Laura and nodded her head. "Yes, sorry." She felt bad that she didn't introduce herself but with Eva in danger, her mind was spinning.

"No, it's okay." Nagel reassured her. "But while Antonio goes to trace the phone, you can stay with me if you'd like?" She offered.

Truthfully Sylvie thought against it. She only came here to give Antonio the bad news and then leave. Although she wanted to make sure Eva was okay and safe, she didn't feel comfortable spending time with Antonio. Sure, she knew it wasn't like later she would go home and cry because of how much she missed him, but it felt like a recipe for disaster.

However, she nodded her head a few seconds later. "Sure. Thank you."

Sylvie followed Laura into a room and she sat down in one of the chairs.

"I know I haven't known Antonio for long." Nagel began. "But I have never seen him jumped out of his chair so fast when he sees anyone." She said with a laugh.

Sylvie nodded her head, attempting to smile but failed. Her mind was too focused on Eva and she was worried about her. "Antonio knows that I wouldn't be here, interrupting him at work, unless it was important." Even if Sylvie and Antonio were still together, she wouldn't come here unless it was a dire situation.

Before Nagel could reply, Antonio entered the room, interrupting them. "I found her. Well—at least her location. Come on."

"Wait—I'm coming?" She asked. She wasn't sure that was a great idea.

"Yes." Antonio said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her along. It wasn't a forceful pulled, but one that showed her that he was in a rush. Which was understandable, his daughter was in danger. "She called you, so obviously she wants to see you."

"Okay." Sylvie nodded her head, trying to concentrate but it was the first physical contact between them since their breakup. Hell, this was the first time they really talked since their breakup. A few seconds later, he let her hand go. Although she missed the contact as soon as he was lost, she was relieved. All of this was confusing her.

Once they both got inside the truck, Sylvie placed on her seat belt. So much for her relaxing evening. Then again, even if she went back to her apartment, she wouldn't be able to relax until she knew Eva was safe.

"She's near Laura's house." Antonio said, gripping the steering wheel as he drove fast. "Can you tell me a few things so when we find her, I'm not completely blindsided?" He asked.

"Okay, but please stay calm because you're driving. And we won't get to her if we're dead." Sylvie wasn't attempting a joke, she knew what she was about to tell Antonio would make him furious. Not at Eva, of course. "When she first called me, she didn't say anything. But then she whispered, 'help me.' I mean, I was a teenager before so help me can mean anything. Especially because she then told me not to tell you. Before—-before the phone call was cut off she was yelling for someone to get away from her. I knew I had to tell you. I wasn't going to attempt to find her on my own." As Sylvie looked over at Antonio, she could see that he was worried but also angry. He was clenching the steering wheel because of his anger.

Sylvie wasn't sure how to comfort him, all she knew was that Eva better be okay or else Antonio was going to explode in anger. If something happened to his baby girl, Sylvie wasn't sure if anyone could calm down Antonio, not even Gabby.

Antonio didn't say anything to what Sylvie told him, but she could tell he was battling his emotions. He wanted to hurt the person responsible for hurting his daughter, but he was also so worried about her. A few minutes later, Antonio finally said something. "Oh, my god."

Sylvie turned her head to where he was looking. On the park bench, Sylvie could see Eva laying there. "Oh, my god." She echoed his words, simply because no other words came to mind. Without thinking, Sylvie quickly took off her seat belt and opened the door.

Antonio did the same and quickly got out of his truck. He took his gun out of his waistband as Sylvie ran over to Eva. He was glad Sylvie was here because he felt like he was frozen. This wasn't supposed to happen. He dealt with this daily. But when your daughter is involved, it becomes personal and different.

"She's okay." Sylvie breathed out. "Eva, sweetie, open your eyes. We're here." She prayed that Eva didn't get raped because god forbid someone did that to Antonio Dawson's daughter, they wouldn't live to see another day. It would make sure their death was slowly and painful, he wouldn't even care about spending the rest of his life in jail.

After noticing that Eva was alone and no one was in sight, Antonio made his way over to Eva.

"Sylvie?" Eva said weakly. "You came. I didn't think you cared enough to come."

Sylvie shook her head. "I wasn't going to give up on finding you. Your dad is here." Sylvie said as she moved slightly to the side to let Eva see her dad. Sylvie thought seeing him would make Eva questioned why she broke her promise but instead Eva flung herself into his arms.

Sylvie stood back as she watched the father-daughter exchange. She always loved seeing Antonio in daddy mode. It always melted her heart.

"I'm sorry, dad." Eva sobbed in Antonio's chest.

It broke Sylvie's heart to think that Eva blamed herself for whatever happened tonight.

"Hey." Sylvie said, grabbing Antonio's attention. "Maybe we should bring her to the hospital to check her out."

"No!" Eva immediately shouted. Realizing she was loud, she lowered her voice. "I'm fine. I promise. Dad, I'm fine."

"Eva…" Antonio said softly, his tone filled with love. "If you're badly injured, you need to go."

"All I want right now is lay in my bed and forget this night even happened. Besides, Sylvie is a paramedic. I'm sure she can check me out once I'm in bed?" Eva suggested.

The last thing Sylvie wanted to do was step foot inside Antonio's apartment. That could easily push her over the edge.

"Eva sweetie, I'm not a nurse nor a doctor."

"I know. But…"

Sylvie knowing Eva didn't want to become another victim, she simply nodded her head. "I can check you but if I feel like you need to go to the hospital, please go."

"I will."

Antonio gently lifted her in his arms as he carried her over to his truck. Once she was safety inside, he walked over to the driver's side and got inside.

As Sylvie made her way over to the passenger's side, she took in a deep breath. Once she was inside and bucked her seat belt, Antonio drove off to his apartment.

She was fighting with her emotions inside of her. Being this close to Antonio brought back memories of their time together and made Sylvie realized that she may be happy but she clearly wasn't over him.

She quickly shook those thoughts from her head. Right now, she and Antonio needed to focus on Eva and figure out what happened tonight.

20 minutes later, Antonio walked through his apartment door, carrying Eva to her bedroom. As Sylvie walked in the apartment, she was flooded back to memories of their time together. Thankfully they didn't break up here or it would have been even harder to step foot in here. Happy memories she can deal with, it was just that one bad memory she wanted to erase from her mind.

"Hey." Antonio said as he walked over to her. "Can you go check on her? I'll stay out here for privacy."

Sylvie nodded her head as she heard Antonio's voice. "Sure." She hoped Eva wasn't too badly injured because she didn't have any of her paramedic supplies on her.

As she walked over to Eva's door. She took a deep breath. She knew she broke the promise to Eva, but she couldn't keep this kind of information from Antonio. She knocked on the door once and then she opened the door. "Hey sweetie."

Now in the light, Sylvie could see the bruises all over her face and could bet that her body looked exactly like her face. She was surprised that her nose was fine though, which was a blessing. If her nose was bleeding badly, she would advise Antonio to take her to the hospital, and she knew Antonio would listen to her.

"Hi, Sylvie." Eva said weakly. She tried sitting up but Sylvie shook her head, letting her know it was okay.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Sylvie said softly as she walked over to the bed and sat down.

Before she checked to make sure she was fine, she wanted to hear the details first. She may have to go through this over again but she needed to know mainly just to know if she needed to keep an eye on Antonio, or well Gabby needed to.

"First, I want to apologize for dragging you into this. I tried calling Aunt Gabby but she didn't pick up. Then I tried calling my ma, but she didn't pick up either. No surprise there." Eva stopped for a second to wipe away a tear.

"Sweetie, why didn't you call your dad?"

"Because you know how he gets. It was just a fight with my boyfriend at the time. And I didn't want to bother him. He actually had a real excuse if he couldn't pick me up, he was working."

Sylvie's heart broke for Eva. She needed her mother and the person she turned to was her father's ex-girlfriend. But Sylvie pushed that to the back of her mind instead she focused on what Eva was saying.

"It was just a stupid fight. Anyway, when I called you, I just needed help to get home. I know it sounded like more, but I was upset we were fighting, I was upset because I needed my mother."

"So, your boyfriend did this?" Sylvie wanted to get the facts before she told Antonio. It was critical that she didn't make a mistake.

"No." Eva said and for a second Sylvie thought she was defending her boyfriend. "Look, if he did it, I would tell you. Look at my face, Sylvie."

Sylvie nodded her head, staying silent for her to continue.

"I know I should have told my dad this, I know. I just didn't want to overreact when it could have been nothing. This guy in a grade higher was pretty much stalking me. I just thought he'll get over it, you know? I guess I should have followed my gut because it was telling me this guy was creepy. He was always sending me text messages and most of them weren't nice. I was naïve I guess." She shrugged her shoulders. "I know I should know better, I am a cop's daughter after all. When he saw, me sitting on the ground alone, I don't know, I panicked. For good reason I guess. At first, he was being nice but when I told him I was waiting for a ride, he told me he could give me a ride home. I didn't go, not willing at least. I told him no, that I was waiting on a ride. It angered him and he dragged me away. I was fighting him away but I guess I lost."

Sylvie wanted so badly to break down and cry over what Eva was telling her, but she held it together for her sake. "Did he….?" She asked, not wanting to ask to full question.

She shook her head. "No. I don't know why he didn't since no one was around to witness it, but I'm not questioning why. I'm just glad you came and saved my life."

"I didn't. Your dad did." Sylvie said truthfully.

"Maybe so. But he wouldn't have found me if it wasn't for you." Which was true, and Sylvie couldn't argue with that. "You guys sure make a good team."

"Can I still check you to make sure you don't have a concussion?" She asked softly, changing the subject.

"Sure." Eva obliged. Sylvie was the last person she could have said no to since she saved her life.

After Sylvie did a full examination on Eva, she told Eva to rest and that Antonio will check on her soon. She pulled the covers over Eva and stood up from the bed. As Sylvie headed out of the door, she was stopped by Eva's voice.

"Thank you, Sylvie. For everything."

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "You got it."

Once she walked out of the room, she noticed Antonio walking out of the kitchen with a beer in his hand. She could tell he was only drinking because of his nerves.

"Is she okay?" He asked, his eyes filled with concerned.

"She is. She'll be sore for a few days but she's fine."

"Thanks to you, she's fine." Antonio's eyes locked on hers.

For a few minutes, they just stay still, their eyes locked on each other. But Sylvie knew if she didn't look away, she would fall under his spell.

She glanced away and then he cleared his throat. "So—uh, thank you. You know, for answering her phone call and for coming to tell me. I know I was the last person you wanted to see."

She shrugged her shoulders. "It didn't matter how I felt, your daughter was in danger. She was the only person that mattered to me at that moment." She admitted, thinking back to how scared and worried she was. "Besides, I don't hate you, Antonio." She added.

He nodded his head, thinking contemplating. "Look, I hate to ask this of you. But can you keep an eye on her for like an hour? I know she is old enough to be alone here but in case she wakes up, I don't want her to get scared."

"Sure." Sylvie let the words out slowly. Then she remembered she took him away from his job. "I'm sorry, are you still on duty?" She asked, she didn't know his schedule and for all she knew he was working on a big case.

"No." He shook his head. "I was actually about to head out when you walked in. I was wrapping up a few things."

"Then where are you going?" Before the question left her mouth, she knew where she was going. Any normal father would have the same reaction. Beat up the guy that hurt his baby girl. Except Antonio was a state's Investigator and this could cost him his job. "No, Antonio. No. I won't allow you to do that."

"What would you do?" He asked. "What would you do if your daughter was in this position? That she was covered in bruises from some boy?" He asked, his voice dripping in anger.

"I would be pissed, sure. But please think about Eva. She didn't want to go to the hospital because she didn't want to get treated like a victim. You attack this guy; how do you think she would feel knowing her father is in jail because of her? That you lost everything you worked your entire life for because of her?" She held her hand up as he started to say something. "I know, for you it'll be worth it. But not for Eva. You will pay for this for the rest of your life, meaning she will remember this night for the rest of her life. If she wants to press charges, that's her decision. But you can't give in to your emotions."

"Sylvie, stop." He warned her. "I'm her father, it's my job to protect her. And that means going after the guy for putting his hands on her!"

Sylvie walked over to Antonio and she placed a hand on his arm for comfort. "I know you're going to do what you want because that's who you are, and trust me, that's why when we're all in trouble—we go to you. Because we know, you're always going to go above and beyond for what you believe in, no matter what. But Eva, she needs you. And she needs you to stay here. If she wants to press charges, again, it must be her decision. You may think your job is to protect your daughter and it is, but your main job is being there for her when she's hurt and not leaving her side."

"How didn't I know she was in trouble? How didn't—"Antonio's tears started to glisten on his cheeks.

Sylvie pulled him in a hug, just holding on him. She wasn't a mother, but seeing Eva in this kind of pain made her want to cry and she probably will later once she was home, but she couldn't imagine the pain Antonio was in seeing Eva so weak and badly bruised.

"I was a fool for letting you go." Antonio barely audible and Sylvie made have no heard it if she wasn't so close to him. His arms wrapped around her brought back to when they were in a relationship. She never felt so safe than in his arms. Knowing they needed distance, she pulled away.

Sylvie wasn't going to take his words seriously knowing what he was going through. It was easy to miss this, it was easy to reminisce on their time together when Sylvie was there for his daughter. But once all of this was over, Antonio would realize he shouldn't have said that.

As the hug ended, Antonio wiped away his tears. "I'm going to go in and check on Eva."

At his words, she nodded her head and watched as she walked away. She would have silently left the apartment, but she was stuck here. Her car was back at the Justice building and her apartment was far from here. She could have called someone to pick her up, but she wanted to save herself the headache from the questions. So, instead of leaving, she walked over to his couch and sat down, putting on the TV.

Antonio walked inside Eva's room and he closed the door quietly behind him. He walked over to her bed and stared down at her face. Her eyes were all bruised up and he knew tomorrow it would be 10x worse, her cheeks were swollen from the punches, even as he looked closely at her jaw, he could tell tomorrow it would hurt to even speak. How could he stay calm and not want Justice for his daughter when she deserved it?

"Dad." Eva said, waking up. Knowing his expression, she tried to reassure him. "I'm fine. You raised a tough daughter, I can handle this."

"I'm so sorry. I took this job to spend more time with you and Diego and that really hasn't happened." He started to apologize and she shook her head.

"Hey." She reached over and grabbed his hand. "Even if you were home, and even if you had us, I would have still gone to that party. You can't keep an eye on me 24/7 and please, I'm begging you, don't start now."

"Not only did I failed as a parent, so did your mother." He was angry that when Eva called her, she didn't answer. It was one thing not to answer his calls, but your kids? No matter what Antonio was doing, and no matter how busy he was, if his kids were calling, he was stopping everything to make sure they were okay. That was what being a parent meant. Nothing and no one comes before them.

"How did you failed?" She asked softly. "I didn't call you. I called ma but she didn't answer, so yeah, she failed. But I didn't call you. I guess I didn't want to fail in your eyes."

Antonio sat down next to her on the bed as he wrapped his arms gently around her shoulder. "How in the world did you fail me?"

"You always warn me that I shouldn't walk the streets alone, that it's dangerous. I'm not saying I thought I was invincible but I wasn't thinking at the time. I wish I remembered what you said though because I would have called Sylvie at the party instead of out in the street." She explained.

"I'm just glad you're fine." She may not be fine for a long time, this traumatic event would follow her around for a while, but at least she's alive and safe.

"Remember the time I got hurt at cheerleading?" Her question probed him to think back about that time. "You were so mad that I broke my nose." She laughed but then winced from the pain.

Antonio laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "You were only 8, Eva. When a parent drops their kid off to someone, they need to make sure that person's kid is safe." He explained like his explanation made so much sense.

"I was doing a pyramid, dad! Besides, I wanted to be at the top. I just thought they would be able to hold me up." She smiled at the memory. Although it hurt when she broke her nose, it was still an enjoyable memory, simply because Antonio was so furious wanting to sue for hurting his baby girl.

"Again, I trusted this lady to protect my baby." He never apologized for his attitude even when Laura begged him to. He always felt like if he apologized, he was saying sorry for being a protective father and that was never happening. "You were always my daredevil child."

Eva yawned, nodding her head. "That is true. But more than that I was always a daddy's girl. Wherever you went, I wanted to go."

"I spoiled you, but I didn't care." He smiled as memories of Eva as a little girl flashed in his mind. He missed her little, at least then the only pain she got was breaking her own nose.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't always a great daughter especially when you and Ma divorced. I just always thought you would fall in love with someone else, start a new family, and forget about me and Diego." She explained in a sad tone.

"Eva, that was never going to happen. Even if one day, I get married and have a family, you will always be a part of my family. You will always be a part of that family. You and Diego are my entire world and nothing can change that."

She nodded her head. "You realize you didn't include falling in love? I guess you can't include it in the 'if' category when you're already in love."

"Eva, stop." Antonio rolled his eyes but he didn't try to argue with her. Leave it up to her daughter to try to get Antonio and Sylvie back together in her condition.

"Look dad, all I'm saying is, not many women would stop what they're doing and save their ex-boyfriend's daughter. I'm sure if she had a clue where I was at, she would have looked for me herself. Don't give that up because of Ma."

As much as he wanted to deny it, she was right. But Antonio didn't break up with her over the kids, he knew Sylvie adored his kids. His life was just a mess and he didn't want to make Sylvie's life a mess. He did the right thing, even when no one else could see it.

"It's not that easy." He admitted. "Anyway, get some rest because the only way you'll heal is if you get plenty of rest."

"Okay, dad." She wasn't in the mood to argue with her dad over what she seen. She didn't have the energy to do that. She always knew she got her stubbornness from Antonio. "Don't leave me." She pleaded.

"I'm not going anywhere, Eva. I'm staying right here with you." Although he didn't ask her the question he wanted to; if she was pressing charges, he knew he had plenty of time to ask about that later.

He tried hard not to think about why Sylvie went to such lengths to save Eva. Sure, it really had nothing to do with them, more Eva since her life was in danger. But she could have easily texted his phone and let him know what was going on.

As soon as Eva was in a deep sleep, Antonio slipped out of bed quietly. He was planning on coming back in to stay with Eva but he wanted to make sure Sylvie was okay. He sort of forgot for a moment that she was stuck here and wanted to make sure she wasn't miserable about it.

As he walked out of Eva room, he walked into the living room and noticed Sylvie lying on the couch. He took the blanket from the back of the couch and placed it on her. He smiled softly as he watched for a second as she slept. Maybe this would make them grow closer together, or maybe she would finally realize Antonio's life was a mess and would always be in chaos and it was better to stay far away from it. Whatever happened, he knew he was ready to face tomorrow.


	56. Chapter 56: Worth Fighting For

**A/N I was asked to write a story about Sylvie getting shot for the longest, so here it is, so enjoy!**

Sylvie was in the middle of eating her cereal when the alarm above her blared. She silently prayed hoping that it wasn't for her, or just wasn't for her.

"Ambulance 61, gunshot victim."

Sylvie sighed as she jolted up from her seat at the table and ran out of the firehouse. She ran towards the ambulance and got inside. Gabby had to take care of something this morning and Boden asked if she wanted a partner for a few hours or if she wanted to be alone.

Knowing that he was going to get Chout to help her for a few hours, she politely declined. The last thing she needed was someone so chirpy in the morning. Sylvie thought she was a happy person, but he had her beat. Especially with the recent breakup with Antonio, she just needed the peace and quiet at times; something she wouldn't get with him.

As she drove to the scene, she prayed that it wasn't a bad gunshot wound where she needed someone else's help or anything. Boden told her that he was going to tell the dispatcher to only send in calls that wasn't hard for her to do. Honestly, Sylvie needed the distraction. So, it didn't matter to her either way, as long as no one died on her.

Once she made it to the scene, she parked the ambulance and she got out. She looked around for the gunshot victim and figured it was in an alleyway or something, so before she went to look, she grabbed her paramedic bag.

She closed the ambulance door and she took off, looking for the person that needed help.

"Hey, did someone call for an ambulance?" She questioned.

A few seconds later, she heard a low moaning sound and followed the voice. As soon as she saw the young boy, laying in a corner, she rushed over.

"Hi, I'm a paramedic and I'm going to help you." She said in a calm tone, hoping to calm the boy down.

"No, you need to go. Go, get out of here." The boy advised her, which puzzled Sylvie.

"I'm not leaving you. It's up to you if you want medical care, but it's my job to patch you up." She told the boy who looked terrified.

"Then hurry. He's going to hurt you." The boy said.

"Who?" She saw the boy start to close his eyes. "No, stay awake. Don't close your eyes!" Sylvie said, panicking.

"If I were you, I would just walk away and act like you never came here." An Older man's voice said behind her and she turned to looked at him. He had a gun pointed at her, but she swallowed her fear. She went through something similar like this, but unlike last time, she was more confident this time.

"No. He needs my help!" She exclaimed as she opened the paramedic bag that sat beside her and started looking for the bandages, but then she heard a loud gunshot and she jumped. As she looked over at the young man, she saw that this guy shot him in the head. It was no use trying to save his life now, nothing she could do would bring him back. Which pissed off Sylvie.

"Why the hell did you do that for?!" She exclaimed. "He was only 19! He had his whole life ahead of him!"

"Lady, shut up! Just shut up!" He said with a threatening tone, but the way Sylvie was feeling, she wasn't the weak person as before.

"No! You hear that?" She questioned as she listened to the police sirens. "The police are coming. There is no way you can get away!" Oh, how much she wished Antonio was still a detective.

She saw that the guy felt like he was about to get caught, he had a worry look on his face but then Sylvie saw something changed in his expression.

He walked over to her, keeping the gun pointed at her. "Get me out of here. If you don't, I will shoot you just like I shot him." He threatened her.

Sylvie saw the look in his eyes and knew he had nothing to lose. Although she was still mourning the loss of Antonio, the last thing she wanted to do was die.

"Okay okay." She agreed. She thought that he would have a runaway car that he wanted her to get inside, but instead he asked her where she parked her ambulance.

"That will be a stupid move. Once my Chief finds out I'm in danger, he's going to track down my ambulance." She said, which was true.

"I know this. I just want to drive a little away and then we can ditch the ambulance."

"We?" Sylvie repeated. "Where are you taking me?" She questioned as they neared the ambulance.

"No questions! Now, be quiet. Also, get rid of your radio and cell phone. Throw them on the ground!" He instructed and she did as she was told.

She just figured if she did whatever he asked her to do, she would make it out of this alive.

After she threw her things on the ground, he pushed her in the driver's seat as he got inside the passenger side. "Drive!" He demanded.

Sylvie sighed and she pulled away after a few seconds. Please, Antonio, anyone come find me, she thought. It was weird to want her ex-boyfriend to come save her, but if anyone could find her, she knew it would be him. He was too good at his job, and the only one that wouldn't rest until she was found.

—

"Huh. I wonder what is taking Sylvie so long at the call." Otis complimented. Although his crush for Sylvie faded away when she started dating Antonio, she was still a close friend of his.

"Probably because she's alone so the paperwork and everything could take longer." Stella explained, but she was a little worried also. She wished she could have been the paramedic for a few hours until Gabby came but knew Chief wouldn't like losing one firefighter even for a few hours.

"Do you want to go head over there?" Herrmann asked. Since Casey was gone for a few hours with Gabby, he was the lieutenant in charge.

"First let's try to radio her because maybe she's just stuck at the hospital or maybe she went on another call?" Stella suggested.

Cruz nodded his head and he stood up. He headed out of the diner area as Otis looked over at Stella.

"This happened before. Sylvie and her old partner Mills were kidnapped but luckily we were able to find them."

Stella took in a deep breath. "But if she is missing—if something happened to her—she's all alone." Stella grimaced at the thought of Brett being alone with some strange guy—or woman for that matter—and they didn't know where she was at.

"Hey, for all we know she's safe and could be driving back to the firehouse right now." Herrmann was trying to assure his team, but he had a bad feeling about this, a very bad feeling about this.

A few minutes later, Cruz walked back in the dining area. "I tried to radio her but got no answer."

Everyone looked at each other worriedly.

"Let's go. We're firefighters. We don't sit around and wait for news, we go out and figure it out on our own. If Brett Is in trouble, we need to know so we can notify the police." Herrmann said as he stood up.

As they rushed out of the firehouse, they ran over to the Truck and put on their equipment. Although they weren't running in a burning building, just in case they got a call while they were out looking for Brett.

Since Cruz was a part of the Squad, he knew he couldn't go. Even though he really wanted to. "Here is the address she was last at." He told Otis since he was the driver.

"What's going on?" Severide asked as he walked out of the door. He was in his office when he heard the commotion out here.

"I'll fill you in." Cruz told him as he walked over to him.

—-

A few minutes later, Otis drove onto the scene that Brett was last at. The scene was filled with cops and all their stomachs were filled with anxiety. They weren't sure what they were walking into.

They climbed out of the truck as Herrmann walked over to the police officers. He was about to ask what happened when Voight called out his name.

He turned around, trying to hide the bad feeling in his stomach. Luckily, being a firefighter, he was used to this feeling.

"Hey Sarge." He shook hands with Voight. "What happened here?" He asked.

"We think it was a gang retaliation. We're not sure." He admitted. "What are you guys doing here?" He asked.

"Our paramedic, Sylvie Brett, was the paramedic called onto this scene, but she has been gone for an hour. Do you know where she is?" He asked, hoping she was just filling out a report but as Herrmann looked away, he couldn't locate the ambulance. What the hell happened?

"After I was finished here, I was going to stop by the firehouse to talk to Chief, but now since you're here, I can tell you." Voight said, and as Herrmann looked at his face, he could sense something was wrong.

"What is it? Is she okay?" Herrmann was almost too afraid to ask. What if she got in the way of the crossfire and was injured or worse? That was something he couldn't think of.

"We don't know. We think the killer figured she was a witness and couldn't afford that, so he took her."

"Took her?!" Herrmann asked as his eyes widened in shocked. "Sarge, you have to find her. She's alone. Who knows what this maniac is doing to her?"

"I know. We think he took the ambulance so he could get away. We're hoping as soon as he feels like he's safe, he'll let her go…."

"But you think as soon as he's finish with her, he's going to kill her." Herrmann finished his sentence and Voight nodded his head.

"Listen, I'll meet you at the firehouse to discuss this further with Chief, so I'll see you there?" Voight suggested and Herrmann nodded his head.

"I'll see you there." He shook his head as he walked away from Voight.

—–

The whole ride back to the firehouse was a silent one. All their minds were focused on Brett and hoping she was safe.

As they made it back to the firehouse and Otis parked the Truck they climbed out and quickly got out of their gear.

Cruz immediately rushed over to them. "What happened?"

As soon as Cruz asked that questioned, the rest of the Squad came over. They were all a family so knowing one of them was in danger really hurt them.

"She's—she's uh, missing." Herrmann announced to everyone. "Listen, I need to let Chief know what's going on."

"Don't worry, I already filled him in on where you went." Severide told Herrmann and he nodded his head in thanks.

As he headed to Boden's office, Connie stopped him in his tracks. "Chief is waiting for you so go right in."

Herrmann nodded his head once again and entered his office. "I'm sorry, Chief. I would have told you where I was going but thought nothing was wrong."

Chief Boden shrugged his shoulders to let him know it was okay. "What happened?"

After Herrmann told him the story, there was a knock on the door. Voight entered the office and shook their hands. "One of these days, I wish we could talk under better situations." Voight told him.

"Hopefully." Boden took a deep breath. "Do you have any word about Brett yet?"

Voight shook his head. "No. But don't worry, I have my best men on her."

"Except Antonio." Herrmann pointed out. Since Antonio wasn't a part of the intelligence team anymore, he wouldn't have any jurisdiction over this.

"Yeah, well, considering the relationship between Brett and Antonio, maybe that's a good thing." Voight pointed out.

"So, you don't want us to tell him?" Boden questioned.

"If he finds out, then tell him. But unfortunately, this isn't his job anymore. Until we bring in this suspect, then he'll know."

"I hope you know what you're doing." Herrmann said. "Once Antonio finds out we kept this from him, don't you think he's going to be upset?" He asked.

"Look, I'll handle that. I'm not keeping this from him, but my priority right now is finding Brett. Which reminds me, is there anyway the CFD can tack the ambulance?" He asked.

"Yes. Even though Brett doesn't have her radio, there is a tracking inside the ambulance that no one would know but the paramedics and of course us." Boden couldn't believe he almost forgot about that.

"That's a good start. I'm hoping they didn't get far." Voight shook hands with them both. "I'll keep you updated." He promised as he walked out of the office.

Once Voight left the office, Herrmann turned back to Boden. "I still feel like not telling Antonio will backfire on us."

"That isn't our call, Herrmann." Boden gave him a stern glare. "I better not find out you called Antonio. I don't need an angry Dawson yelling at me."

"You know that is bound to happen." He pointed out.

"At least when that happens Brett will be fine."

—-

Sylvie thought they weren't going to be driving for a while, but turns out, 3 hours later and she was still driving. "All we're doing is driving in circles." She pointed out.

"Shut up. I'm just waiting for someone to call me back to let me know where I can lay low."

This ride wouldn't have been so bad if she didn't have a gun pointed at her. It was crazy how many times a gun was pointed at her in Chicago. Back in Indiana, this never happened to her.

Sylvie wanted to say more, but decided against it. It wasn't the smartest idea to argue with a guy that had a gun pointed at her.

"Focus on the road and drive!" The man barked at her.

"You know what?" Sylvie had about enough. This guy has been screaming orders at her since he took her hostage and she was quite fed up with it. Being killed by him didn't seem so bad right now, at least she didn't have to deal with this crap any longer. She pulled the ambulance over to the side.

"What the hell are you doing?" He yelled. "Do you want me to shoot you!?"

"Do it!" Sylvie screamed. "I am a paramedic, I save lives every day. I see things that you wouldn't imagine. I'm not afraid of dying, so do it! Do it or let me go!" Sylvie knew she was playing a dangerous game but she was tired of being this victim.

Suddenly, cop cars were flying from every which way. Sylvie wasn't sure what to do, but knowing to stay put was the best option right now.

"How did they find us?" The guy said angrily. "And here I was about to let you go."

Sylvie rolled her eyes, he wasn't planning on letting her go but of course he would say that. "How could I let them know where we were? I don't have my cell phone on me!" She pointed out.

She was angry and frustrated. This is something that should have happened the first month she was in Chicago, but she has been here for years. She wasn't the same naïve person she was before, and maybe that's why she didn't fight with him on this. But hell, if anything now, she was a fighter.

However, before she could say or do anything, she heard a familiar voice on the bullhorn. "Let Brett go!" She heard Voight's voice and although she should have been relieved she was safe, she was still stuck. "We can make a deal with you if you let her go."

The guy just simply laughed. "Once I let you go, they're going to shoot me."

"Then don't let me go." Sylvie said in a flat voice. "Or at least keep me in front of you that way they can't shoot you. It'd be too dangerous to shoot in case they shoot me. Listen, I know Voight, as long as you let me go, he keeps true to his word."

She could see that the guy was thinking and felt like she could get him to let her go.

"I promise that I will make sure they understand that you didn't hurt me, that you never intended to hurt me." Maybe that was a lie, since he threatened her a few times, but the fact was he never hurt her. "Just let me go."

After a few seconds, he nodded his head slowly. "Okay. Let's just end this. I'm tired of running." He confessed and Sylvie nodded her head.

As Sylvie climbed out of the ambulance, she raised her hands up. "Don't shoot!" She yelled. "He's surrendering himself."

But Sylvie's eyes widened when the guy came behind her and pointed the gun behind her back. She was surprised since this wasn't the plan.

"I'm so sorry. But I have nothing else to live for." Before Sylvie could say something to Voight, the guy shot her in the back twice.

As soon as the guy shot Sylvie, Jay shot him.

Erin ran over to Sylvie as she fell on the ground. "Brett?" She called out. "Hold on to me, damnit!" As she radio for the ambulance, she glanced over at Voight. They should have run over as soon as Sylvie stepped out of the ambulance.

As Erin waited for the ambulance to arrive, she took off her jacket and applied pressure on Sylvie's gunshot wound. It didn't even matter to her that she was getting blood on her favorite jacket, all she was worried about was making sure Sylvie stayed alive.

Luckily, Erin only waited a few minutes for help to arrive on scene. As the paramedics ran out of the truck and went to the back to grab the equipment, Erin pleaded with Sylvie. "Please stay with me. I don't need 51 angry with us, or oh my god, Antonio." She forgot about her former coworker and friend, he was going to murder them.

Erin always thought her sassy attitude would be the cause of death, but no, it was her friend.

Once the paramedics rushed over to Erin's side, she stood up as they started working on Sylvie. "Her pulse is weak, but hurry up, let's get her bandaged up and place her on the backboard." The paramedic said in a hushed tone.

A few minutes later, which felt like an eternity to Erin, they had Sylvie secured on the backboard and placed her on the stretcher. As they placed Sylvie in the ambulance, Erin walked behind them. She glanced over at Jay. "I'm going with her. She shouldn't be alone."

He nodded his head as Erin got inside and he glanced over at Voight. They were happy this was over, but would be even more happier if Sylvie wasn't fighting for her life.

—-

Gabby and Matt walked in the firehouse after dealing with a personal matter of theirs. Gabby hated asking Chief to come in late, even a few hours, but it was needed. She felt more guilty leaving Sylvie with someone else for a few hours.

As Gabby walked inside the firehouse, she noticed their glum expressions on their face. "Hey, bad call?" She questioned, she immediately thought they came back from a bad call.

"No, Dawson." Cruz spoke up. "Um—Brett is missing."

"Missing? What do you mean, missing?" Matt asked as he placed a hand on his wife's shoulders.

"She went on a call—and something happened there and the guy took her and is now holding her hostage. Voight is tracking down the ambulance but no word yet." Herrmann explained since he knew better than anyone, besides Boden.

"Let me call Antonio." She said, knowing Antonio would find her.

"No!" Herrmann shouted, making everyone around him jumped. "Voight doesn't want Antonio to know. It's a conflict and somewhere he shouldn't be since it isn't his jurisdiction."

"Herrmann." Gabby said, shaking her head. "You know Antonio is the best at his job. He'll find Brett and keep her safe."

"We know that, but Voight doesn't want him to. Look, I was against it just like you are, but this isn't up to us. Antonio will know when he's ready."

"I don't care! Brett wouldn't be in this mess if I just came to work like I was supposed to." She said, clearly agitated.

Before anyone could respond to that, Boden walked out of his office and into the dining area. "Brett was found." He began, taking a second pause so people could process that news. "However, she was shot and is now being transported to Chicago Med."

"Let's go!" Herrmann announced as he and everyone else stood up, ready to support Sylvie.

"Of course we can go. But remember, we're still on duty so any calls we get, we have to respond to it." Boden informed his men and they all nodded their heads. They knew the drill, but right now, they were free to go and nothing would keep them away from Sylvie.

As everyone rushed to the trucks, and geared up, Gabby stood there frozen.

"Hey, this isn't on you." Matt said, trying to comfort his wife.

"Sylvie wouldn't have been alone out there if it wasn't for me. I'm her partner, I'm supposed to have her back. She always has my back."

"Gabby, you didn't know she would be alone and unless you are psychic, how could you know she would get injured?" He questioned.

"I know. Antonio is going to kill me." She sighed. "His mind is still a mess from the breakup, but knowing this, it's going to set him off."

"He can't blame you. Let's go. For all we know, she's got a minor gun wound and is awake. Don't freak out." He reassured his wife and thankfully she nodded her head.

—-

Antonio and Nagel were sitting bored at their desks. He was tempted to tell her that it was a slow day, but knew better than to jinx themselves.

"So, how was last night with the kids?" Laura asked.

"Good. You know, I think me and Eva is connecting again, but then it's false hope." He wasn't about to admit that it was because Eva was getting on his back to call Sylvie.

"Teenagers can be a pain the ass." She laughed. "She'll come around. Give her time."

He nodded his head and then he heard his phone start ringing. Noticing it was Chicago Med, he quickly answered the phone.

"Dawson." He said into the phone.

"Antonio Dawson? This is a receptionist from Chicago Med." Antonio was anxious, who the hell was injured at Med that they needed to call him? If Gabby was hurt, Matt would call him. The kids? Oh god, knowing Laura, she wouldn't be around so they would need to call him. Relax, he told himself. "Sylvie Brett is a patient here and she listed you down as her emergency contact person and we need to ask you for permission to bring her in for surgery."

Sylvie was hurt? How? What about Gabby? "How? How did she get hurt?" He asked, prompting Laura to raised her eyebrows at him.

"Unfortunately, I can't discuss that over the phone. But it's important that she has the surgery asap." She informed Antonio.

"Uh, yeah. Of course, do whatever you have to make sure she's okay." After a few more seconds, he hung up the phone and placed his cell phone on the desk. He ran his hands over his face as Nagel looked at him worriedly but kept silent.

Of course, that wouldn't last long. Not after that phone conversation. "Dawson, who is it?" She asked softly.

After focusing on his breathing and recomposing himself again, he removed his hands off his face. "Sylvie. Look, I'm sorry, but I need to go. I don't know what happened but Gabby could have been in trouble—"

Nagel shook her head and she waved him off. "No, I got you covered. Go handle your business."

Antonio stood up and grabbed his jacket behind his chair. As he was about to stand up and walked out, Stone walked inside the room. Please, no, he thought, he couldn't deal with a case right now.

"Antonio?" He asked. "I came in here to tell you about Sylvie."

"How did you find out?" He questioned in a puzzled tone. Other than Med calling him, no one else informed him of what was going on. So, why would anyone call Stone instead?

"Voight just called me." Stone said. "It's a long story on why he called me first but he wanted to give me the heads up."

"Heads up about what?" Why the hell did he feel like he was the twilight zone? Nothing was making sense to him and he felt like he was being kept in the dark for some reason.

"Go to the hospital. I'm sure Voight is there and is waiting for you."

Antonio wanted to ask more questions, but truthfully, he wanted to get to the hospital and find out what happened to Sylvie, and more importantly ask why he wasn't notified.

He nodded his thanks and headed out of the room.

The whole ride to the hospital he was filled with worry. He knew Sylvie was a fighter and would be okay, he kept telling himself that anyway. He was angry that he wasn't told about what happened, but maybe Voight found out when he did. That had to be it. It just had to be.

As he drove into Med's parking lot, he parked his truck and he climbed out. His question was, where was the lunatic that did this to Sylvie? If anyone was smart, they would lock this guy up and make sure Antonio never found his name because right now, he was a dead man walking.

Who could want to hurt Sylvie? She was so innocent and pure and just wanted to help everyone she could. He shook the thoughts out of his mind. He needed to focus on what happened to get justice for Sylvie.

As he headed into the hospital, he made his way into the waiting room. He noticed 51 there, showing support for Sylvie, which was no surprise. They were always there for each other, so that was expected. But he was surprised to see half of the intelligence unit there. He wasn't even sure they knew Sylvie, at least not well enough to want to show support.

Voight and Chief Boden were the only ones to stand up and walked over to him. As he looked further into the room, he didn't notice Gabby. He wondered if she was okay, his stomach started to tighten up, thinking his baby sister was also injured.

"Gabby?" He asked as he shook Boden's hand.

"Oh, she's fine. She wasn't with Sylvie." He looked around the room and looked back at Antonio. "She went to get some air." He explained.

He relaxed slightly, but knew he wouldn't feel completely better until he found out about Sylvie. "What happened?" He asked.

As Chief talked about what he knew and then Voight finished for him, Antonio was pissed. Not so much at Chief, because it was Sylvie's decision to ride alone so not much to do about that. But more that Voight kept this from him.

"Why did you decide that keeping this from me was the best decision?" He questioned as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"Listen, I couldn't focus on your personal relationship with Brett. The fact is, you have no relations on any of our cases, Antonio. This wasn't your job, it was ours." He pointed out and maybe if Antonio was in the right state of mind, he would have agreed. But he wasn't.

"Yet, you still didn't let me know that Sylvie was in danger. I may not have relations to this case, but I was still blindsided!" He yelled. "I was always a great detective, Hank. Always. You know I would have left my emotions at bay when looking for Sylvie. And I would have made sure that guy didn't have a chance to shoot her! Once she came out of the ambulance, you should have grabbed her away from him."

"Just like you're keeping your emotions at bay now? I made the right decision on the case. I'm sorry Sylvie got hurt, I truly am. But attacking me isn't going to help her." He pointed out.

Antonio wanted to say more, he wanted to scream that if something happened to her, it was all on him, that he made the worst decision. But he noticed Dr. Rhodes heading into the waiting room.

"Sylvie's surgery was a success. Everything went as expected. Now we are just waiting for her to wake up."

"How long will that be?" Antonio asked.

"I don't know. That is all up to her. Her body went through a traumatic ordeal so it could be a few hours, a few days, even a few weeks. But we're hopeful that she will wake up."

Antonio nodded his head. "Can I go see her?" He asked softly.

"Yes. But please only one at a time." He ordered and then he headed out of the waiting room.

Knowing that Antonio needed to see her for himself, they let him go first. As he left the waiting room, Stella shook her head.

"Tell me that isn't a guy still in love with a woman." She smiled sadly.

—–

A few minutes later, Antonio stood outside of Sylvie's room and he took a deep breath. He wasn't even sure if Sylvie wanted him here. They broke up months ago, what right did he have to come here?

As he walked inside of her room, his eyes glanced over at her face, her peaceful face that showed no ounce of pain, but knew once she woke up, she'll be immensely deal of pain. He sighed when his eyes drifted down to the tube in her mouth and he shook his head.

He knew his actions were proving that he still liked Sylvie, but that wasn't it. It was just—hell, he wasn't sure what it was actually. He wasn't allowing himself to think about why he was acting the way he was, not yet.

As he moved over to her bed, he sat down on the chair beside her bed and lifted her hand in his. "I'm so sorry, Sylvie. I should have known, I should have never let this happen." He sighed, knowing that unless he was psychic, he could have never known. Even if he did get a bad feeling in his stomach, he always chose to ignore it, simply because of his job, he was constantly feeling that way.

"I guess I should thank you. If I wasn't on your emergency contact, I probably would have never known. Maybe eventually, but probably when you were in the clear. I know why Voight did what he did, although I could have found you, it could have ended worse. "

He paused as he stared at her face. A few seconds later, he raised her hand up to his lips and he pressed a soft kiss. Maybe not a good gesture for his ex-girlfriend, but he didn't care.

He never broke up with Sylvie because of lack of love—or well lack of care. Quite the opposite. So maybe his reaction was a surprise to everyone, but not to him.

"Sylvie, I know you went through a traumatic experience, and if you need to rest for a few days, we all understand. But please, you need to fight for your life. You are amazing, quite possibly the most amazing woman I have ever met. You see the good in everybody, the world needs you—-I need you. I know things have been stray between us, I know. But just knowing you're happy and being the amazing person you are, it's what is keeping me sane. If you decide to give up—I don't know, my entire world will go completely dark." He took a deep breath to control his emotions. "I'm just so sorry."

And he was. He was sorry that no one trusted him enough to keep his temper at bay so that they could find her. He was sorry that he allowed so much distance between them that he didn't even know she was working alone today. He was sorry that he broke up with her. But maybe he was even more sorry that he allowed himself to begin a relationship with her since his life was a mess. It was a mess then and it was still such a mess now. He was sorry for breaking her heart, she didn't deserve the pain.

A few minutes later, he wiped the tears from his eyes and he stood up. He needed to get out of there. Just looking at Sylvie so fragile was killing him. He needed air before all of this suffocated him.

"I'll check in on you later." He promised his ex-girlfriend as he leaned down and kissed her head.

As he let go of her hand, he gazed at her face one more time and then he walked out of the room.

A few seconds later, he walked back in the waiting room area. This time he noticed that Gabby was back in the waiting room.

Before he could say anything, Gabby rushed over to him and hugged him tightly.

"I'm so sorry." He could hear her words in his ear.

A few minutes, he pulled away and he looked at her. "Hey, this isn't your fault." He soothed her. "Go see her, Gabby. Maybe if she hears your voice, she'll wake up."

"I'm probably the last person she wants to hear something from." She admitted.

"Hey, if anyone belongs in that category, it's me. Besides, Sylvie would never blame you for this." He took out his phone and he glanced at the time. "Listen, I have to go. But I'll talk to you later?" He suggested.

"Sure." She nodded her head slowly. "Please take care of yourself."

He nodded his head as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I will, sis." He promised as he gave her one last glance and he walked away.

As he walked out of the hospital, he sent a quick text to Stone, letting him know that he needed the rest of the day off for a personal day.

Normally, Antonio needed to work to keep his mind busy whenever he was stressed out, but he knew his mind would be on Sylvie and that could be dangerous.

Once he was inside his truck, Stone text him back letting him know that he could take the day off for a personal day and the next day also. He felt guilty doing it, knowing Nagel needed his help, but at the same time, he wouldn't be much help.

For the next few hours, he drove around Chicago, needing the time to think to himself. This wasn't a wakeup call that he needed to be back with Sylvie. More like a reason why they should stay broken up.

Antonio was no good for her, and at this moment, she was no good for him. Even when he divorced from Laura, she never consumed his thoughts this badly. Maybe if she had gotten shot, maybe. But the fact was, he never took a personal day when it came to Laura, but with Sylvie, he knew he had to.

He sighed as he parked his truck outside of his apartment and he stepped out of the truck. As he closed his door, he inhaled a deep breath, letting the air calm him down.

He walked inside his apartment building and then he walked to the elevator. A few seconds later, he walked off and he headed for the door. He took out his keys and he opened the door.

As he stepped inside his apartment, he felt like the memories of Sylvie in his apartment were overpowering him. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't even see straight, the memories were flashing in his mind. And maybe if they had sad memories, it would be okay, but no, of course not. The only bad memories he and Sylvie had were their breakup, but other than that, their relationship was perfect.

And that angered him.

Why? He wasn't sure. Maybe because if their relationship was just a fling, his feelings wouldn't have been strong right now. Maybe because if he didn't take that damn job as Chief States Investigator, he would have been in the loop, he could have saved her. Maybe because if he didn't allow Laura to control his life so much, he could have had more memories with Sylvie.

As he kept thinking about Sylvie and all the mistakes he made concerning her, his angered just intensified.

For the past few months Antonio was like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode, and this sent him over the edge.

Antonio started shattering his living room. He tossed his bookcase on the floor, causing a big thump as all the books came crashing down on the ground. As he walked over and threw his couch on the side. He wasn't trying to destroy his stuff, simply he was just trying to unleash the anger he had inside of him.

10 minutes later, he felt better. Maybe this wasn't a great thing to do, since his living room was completely ravaged. And now once he calmed down, he would have to clean it up. But at least he got the anger out of him.

This just further proved that he needed to stay away from Sylvie. How can someone who felt so good for him, someone who was so pure and innocent and made him completely happy, also be so bad for him? He wasn't sure, but hell, he never understood love before.

Damn it, he thought, as he ran his hands through his hair. There was the love word again. It was the second time tonight he thought about the Love word when thinking about Sylvie. He wasn't in love with Sylvie, he couldn't be. He gave up on the idea of loving someone a long time ago. His living room was proof on why love was no good for him.

Antonio glanced down at the picture frame on the ground, completely shattered in pieces. As he picked it up, he noticed that it was a picture of Laura and the kids. He shook his head as guilt filled him. Not because of Laura, but the kids. They were going through so much because of the mess Laura was doing and it wasn't fair.

Shaking his head, he stood up as he walked into the kitchen. He placed the photo frame on the table and he looked around the kitchen. He should probably try to eat but he wasn't in the mood. He walked over to his fridge as he took out a beer. Knowing that he needed something stronger, he put it back and he walked over to the counter. He picked up the bottle of whiskey as he twisted the cap.

He took a long swig as he headed out of the kitchen and walked into his bedroom. This was the last place he wanted to be, but since he trashed the living room, he was stuck. He kicked off his shoes as he sank down on the bed.

As he kept thinking about Sylvie, he kept downing the bottle. He wanted to feel numb and not think about Sylvie. Not think about all the times they made love in his bed, not think about all the happy times they shared in his bed.

"I'm sorry, baby." Antonio muttered as he finally settled in a somber sleep.

—

Antonio woke up as he felt the sun shining on his face. He opened his eyes and he moved his hands up to his face. He rubbed his eyes as he thought back to last night.

He sighed as he looked down and noticed the bottle next to him. He picked it up and placed it on his nightstand.

As he glanced over, he spotted the picture frame on his nightstand. He picked it up and he smiled slightly at the picture.

It was a picture of him and Sylvie. They were so happy when they took this picture. He sighed as he placed the picture frame back on his nightstand. Maybe he should have put it away, but he wasn't ready.

He stood up from the bed and he walked out of his bedroom. He walked in the living room and he sighed heavily at the mess he made.

It wasn't the best decision at the time, he could admit that, but at least he started to feel better. Maybe that wasn't a good thing.

Knowing that he needed to clean this mess, he walked over and started to pick up the broken glasses. At least the big pieces that he could pick up.

As he threw away the big pieces, he grabbed the dustpan and broom to pick up the smaller pieces, he heard a knock on the door.

He hoped it wasn't Gabby, he loved his sister, but he was sure this wouldn't go over well with her. He didn't think this was what she meant by taking care of himself, although he felt better after destroying his living room. It also wasn't healthy.

He walked over to the door and he opened it. He was surprised to see his mother on the other side. "Ma? What are you doing here?" He asked softly.

"I wanted to check on you." She noticed the dustpan and broom in his hands. "Decided to straighten up?" She questioned and then saw the mess behind him. "Mi hijo, que pasó?"

"I was robbed?" He attempted to lie, knowing his mom was going to flip out, or worst, give him a lecture. Unfortunately, his lie came out more like a question than a statement.

She shook her head and walked inside his apartment. "So, a robber came into your place and just decided 'hey, let's trash it?'" She asked.

Damn mothers, they always know when their little boy is lying.

He sighed as he walked over and started gathering up the glass pieces with the broom into the dustpan. "I just—I had an accident, Ma. Please don't read too much into this."

"Is that why you're avoiding Gabby?" She questioned. "She called me saying you weren't returning her calls or texts from last night."

"I wasn't avoiding Gabby. I just needed time to myself." He looked over at his mother. "Is she okay?"

"Yes." She nodded her head. "How about you go make me a cup of coffee and I'll finish cleaning up some of this mess?"

He shook his head. "No, Ma. This is my mess, not yours." He stood up as he looked at her. "I'll make you a cup of coffee, but please don't clean up."

She nodded her head. "Okay." The last thing she wanted to do was upset him even more. "But how about I help you?" She asked, looking for a compromise. "I'll clean up the small things and you can focus on the bigger things?" She suggested.

"Fine." He smiled slightly as he headed into the kitchen.

10 minutes later, the coffee was done and he poured coffee in two mugs.

As he headed into the living room, he noticed that she cleaned up a good portion.

"I just need you to lift up the bookcase so I can place the stuff back inside." She said as he handed her the cup of coffee.

"You worked fast." He observed.

"I'm a mother whose husband worked a lot. I had to clean fast with raising two kids."

He placed his cup of coffee down on the coffee table that she managed to pick up on her own. He lifted the bookcase and he watched as she started placing the books back where they belonged.

"Just ask me, Ma." He could sense she wanted to give him his space but also had something on her mind.

"I just want to know why—why did you destroy your apartment?" She asked.

"Last night after I went to clear my mind from the hospital—from Sylvie, I just had so much anger boiling inside of me. Anger of the pain I caused Sylvie, anger over Laura, anger that people kept me out of the loop concerning Sylvie. I just needed a release and well—-my apartment was my release."

"I know it's hard seeing the woman you love hurt and there's nothing you can do about it." She tried to comfort him but he shook his head.

"I don't love Sylvie. I care about her immensely, sure, but I don't love her." He defended as he lifted up his couch and placed it back to the way it was.

"Antonio, you can bullshit everyone with the 'I don't love Sylvie' but never your mother. Especially with the way your apartment looks." She pointed out. "Have you ever reacted this way when a case upsets you this badly?" She questioned.

"No." He admitted. "But I still don't love Sylvie."

"Mama knows best, Antonio." She looked at him. "Come on, we can finish cleaning later. Let's go sit and talk."

He sighed, knowing whatever his mom wanted to talk about, she was going to drag it out of him.

He walked over to the couch and he sat down. He looked over at her as she sat down next to him.

"Are you happy?" She asked softly. "Before Sylvie got hurt, were you happy?"

"With my kids."

"No, Antonio." She shook her head. "You are a great father and it makes me so proud. But your kids, they can't be the sole reason you're happy. Not when you barely have them."

"So, if you and Padre got divorced when me and Gabby were young, you would start dating again?" He asked, curious.

"Of course. If I found a guy that accepted you and Gabby are a huge part of my life and you kids would always be first, without a doubt. How can you expect your kids to be happy if you aren't?" She questioned. "I guess the real question is, did Sylvie accept the kids?"

Antonio thought for a moment and a smile appeared on his face. He remembered the times when he had the kids and Sylvie would make dinner and for the first time in a while, he felt like he had the family aspect again. "She did. I think that's why Laura got jealous." He then thought about it. "So, are you saying if Padre started dating someone, you would be happy?"

"As long as that woman is making my kids feel comfortable when they visit their father, and isn't abusing them, absolutely."

"You know, Sylvie taught herself to play Chess for Diego. She still lost, but to know she did that for Diego, it was truly amazing."

"I think I have been silent long enough, Antonio. I feel like you are old enough to make your own decisions, but it's also my job as your mother to make sure you're happy. And for a few months, you were. If Laura is the reason why you're miserable and away from the woman you—care about. Screw her. All you guys have are two beautiful kids—but that's it. She can't dictate who you can and can't date. Don't give up on something—or well someone—that makes you happy because of Laura."

Antonio sat there and he absorbed everything his mother told him. Maybe he should listen to her, but who was to say that Sylvie still wanted him? Sure, they did say when things settled down, but maybe he waited too long.

"By the way, Sylvie is awake." Camilla told Antonio the news and his eyes widened. "Gabby was trying to get ahold of you this morning to tell you."

"Well, I'm happy that she is. But that doesn't change things." The last thing Antonio wanted to do was rush over to the hospital and stress out Sylvie more.

"Antonio…" Camilla warned.

"Ma. I need some time to think. Besides, if I go over to the hospital and even tell Sylvie I regret what I did, she's going to think I'm only feeling like this because she was shot. I can't do that. It'll push us even further away from each other." He explained.

"You're right." She was silent for a few seconds. "So, you aren't going to visit her at the hospital?"

"Not right now. I think right now, my mind is a mess, so is hers. She just got shot. I think she needs to focus on getting better. It's the right thing to do." He took a deep breath. "It is."

—–

Although Camilla knew that Antonio was right, that Sylvie needed to rest and focus on getting better, she wanted to check on her.

She knocked gently on the door, and heard Sylvie tell her to come in.

Camilla walked inside the room. "Hey. I figured you would want some company and I brought some flowers." She walked over to the table and placed them next to her. "They always cheer me up, so I thought maybe they'd cheer you up."

Sylvie smiled softly as she tried to sit up. "Thank you—Camilla." She almost slipped and called her Mrs. Dawson but luckily stopped herself. The first time she met her, she called her Mrs. Dawson and she told her to call her Camilla. It wasn't in a mean way, but it was in a way that let her know that if she called her Mrs. Dawson again, she would yell at her.

She smiled at her. "No problem." She sat down in the chair next to her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I have been shot." She laughed. "My back hurts but I'm okay."

"I'm glad it wasn't anything too serious." Camilla said. "Truthfully, I don't think my son or even daughter could handle that." She admitted. She knew she shouldn't have brought up Antonio but she was tired of sitting back and allowing these two stubborn individuals to stay away when the love was obviously there.

"You just missed Gabby. Kind of happy she left. I love her so much, but she needed to rest."

"She means well, though."

"I know." Sylvie chewed on her bottom lip as she thought about Antonio. "How is he doing? I heard he didn't take any of this too well."

"I think that's an understatement." She was contemplating on telling Sylvie on what she walked into, but figured she needed to know that Antonio still cared about her. "I went to check on him this morning, and his apartment was completely trashed."

Sylvie's eyes widened. "I didn't realize he was that bad."

Truth be told, she couldn't. Maybe the first week, it helped him knowing he was miserable just like she was. And maybe if she was honest with herself, even when a month passed by, she was happy, but she still missed him. But she didn't think he was thinking of her anymore.

"I don't even think he realized he was that bad, but seeing you hurt sent him over the edge. You know Antonio, if he can't protect the people he cares about, it kills him."

She nodded her head. "I thought he would stop by and visit me sooner knowing I was awake." She admitted. "I guess I just thought he didn't care."

"No, he cares. I think he feels like he's doing a favor by keeping his distance."

As she looked at the expression on Sylvie's face, she knew that she loved Antonio as much as he loved her. Why were they making this more complicated than it had to be?

"Anyway." Camilla didn't want to make Sylvie uncomfortable. "I hear you're going to go home in a few days, you must be happy."

She nodded her head. "I'm glad I woke up the next day so it wasn't too damaging. And I'm glad that when I got shot in the back, it didn't hurt my spine or I would be paralyzed."

"I'm glad too." She was always fond of Sylvie, simply because she was innocent and sweet, but then again, she would be fond of any woman who made her son happy.

"Gabby wants me to stay with her, but I think I'll feel better going back to my own apartment."

"But that just means Gabby will be stopping by every chance she gets to check on you." She said, causing both her and Sylvie to laugh.

—–

It was a few days later and Sylvie was home from the hospital. Gabby wanted him to visit Sylvie but there was something he had to do first. Something that he needed to do to get his mind to a clear place.

He truly felt like since he met Sylvie—or well maybe since his crush on Sylvie, his mind was all sorts of messed up. And maybe if he was truthful, that was a good thing. That meant his mind knew Sylvie was perfect for him.

He drove his truck over to Laura's apartment and he stopped his truck. He sort of ambushed his mother to take the kids, but knew it was for a good reason. The kids would be a distraction right now and he needed to talk to Laura.

This wasn't going to be pretty, but it was time to do it.

After he parked his truck, he unbuckled his seat belt and climbed out of the truck. He walked inside Laura's building and headed for her door. As he knocked gently, he took a deep breath.

He could tell Laura was surprised to see him when she opened the door. "You know your mother has the kids."

He nodded his head. He held up a folder in his hands. "I know. I came for this."

She looked at him, puzzled but she nodded her head. "Come in."

Antonio walked inside her apartment and closed her door.

"I'm not here to fight with you, I'm not here to place any blame about the divorce like we always seem to do. I chose my job over you, you took the kids, we got a divorce. That's all in the past. You moved on, and I'm trying hard to do the same. But see, I can't seem to do that when you think you can use the kids as leverage." She tried to interrupt him but he held up a finger to silence her. "I talked to a lawyer about how I can get custody without you interfering. I'm not asking for full custody, I would never take the kids away from you. But enough is enough, Laura. They are my kids just as much as they are yours. I am a good father and I deserve to see them when I'm supposed, regardless who is in my life."

"I'll fight with you on this." She sneered at him.

"On what grounds?" He questioned. "I never hurt them, I never used them against you. Can you say the same?"

"I—I— "She tried to deny it but she knew, just like he did, she couldn't.

"I'll fight dirty for my kids, Laura. I'll make it where you will never see them. Don't mess with me anymore. We're divorced, but we don't have to hurt our kids. You aren't just hurting me, you're hurting them."

"You got Diego kidnapped." She tried to use that against him, causing him to laugh.

"And? I got him back unharmed." He sighed as he opened the folder. "In here is everything about the custody arrangement. I get them every weekend and I played around with the holidays, but I'm willing to change holidays."

"Why are you doing this? Is this because she's making you."

"No. I'm doing this because I have a right to see my kids. And this way if you keep my kids from me, you will be arrested. I'm not playing this game anymore. You no longer have a hold on me. You are only the mother of my children."

"That's it?"

He walked closer to her and he sighed. "You know what I mean, Laura. You moved on, why shouldn't I?"

"I guess a part of me thought eventually we would get back together. That you would leave your job one day and we can be a family again."

"That's why we can never be a family again. You are always making me choose between my job and my family, it's not fair. We're just not meant to be. Maybe when we got married, we were meant to be. But as the years passed by, we drifted apart. It's not anyone's fault, it's life, it happens. But we need to stop being angry with each other and let the other person go."

Laura nodded her head as tears fell from her eyes. "I know this sounds stupid since I signed the divorce papers two years ago, but it's so hard letting you go. I mean, we built a life together, we brought two kids into our marriage. You were truly my best friend."

"As you were mine. But all we're doing is hurting each other, hurting the kids. I know it's hard letting go. I always thought one day, our lives were in sync again and we would become a family again, but we need to let that fantasy go." Antonio handed her the papers. "I need your signature on these papers."

Laura nodded her head and she picked up a pen on the table. After she signed her name, she glanced at him. "You love her, don't you?" She asked.

"I do." Although he didn't admit that to his mother a few days prior, he realized he did.

"I'm sorry if I was the reason you guys broke up in the first place. I guess I was just jealous that the kids loved her." Ah, now the truth comes out.

"It wasn't your fault, maybe at first it was. But I needed to clear my mind." He admitted and he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Laura, no one can ever replace you with the kids. They love you. You're their mother."

"I know, but I can't stop thinking it."

"Thank you for not fighting with me on this. I know it's hard." He said as he placed the papers back in the folder.

"It's particularly hard saying goodbye." She confessed.

"I know." He agreed. "I'll see you later and tell you how this goes, okay?"

She nodded her head as Antonio walked out of her apartment. He had other important things he had to do right now.

—–

An hour later, Antonio stood outside of Sylvie's apartment with flowers in his hand. He felt guilty that he didn't visit her in the hospital but he needed to think and being near her was just going to confuse things more.

He knocked on the door and he smiled softly as he waited for her to answer. He felt 100x better than he did in a while since he felt like weight has been lifted from his shoulders. Laura knew where he stood and knew she couldn't keep the kids from him again. If he and Sylvie were going to start over, he needed to resolve that.

"Hey." Sylvie said in a surprise tone when she answered the door. "I didn't expect to see you, I thought you were avoiding me."

He shook his head as he handed her the flowers. "No, I was—handling some things."

She smiled as she took the flowers from his hands. "Thank you, they're beautiful. Come in."

He entered her apartment and he closed the door behind him. "How are you feeling?"

She walked over to the couch and sat down. She shrugged her shoulders. "Better than what I was feeling when I first woke up. But I'm still sore."

He nodded his head. "I'm sorry." He said as he sat down next to her. "I should have known you were in danger, or at least—He stopped talking when she placed her hand on his arm.

"Antonio, no one told you, so how could you have known? I'm glad they didn't tell you." She took a deep breath to explain what she meant. "I know you, if anyone told you I was in trouble, you would have come despite Stone telling you no. You could have put your job on the line for me and that is something I would never be okay with."

"I know, but, maybe if I knew, you wouldn't have gotten shot."

"Maybe. But you are also talking about the what-ifs."

"Can I ask you something? Why did you keep me on your emergency contact list?" He asked. "You could have put Gabby down after we broke up."

"I know. I guess I have just been busy that I didn't get around to do it. Besides, I always thought if I would have gotten hurt, it would have been with Gabby, so I needed someone that wasn't my partner. And although I could have put my parents down, they are so far away that I felt like they needed someone to make decisions, it was best to get someone who lived near me." She explained.

"That makes sense." He nodded his head.

"Are you okay?" She asked. "Your mom visited me and told me you weren't handling this so well."

"I'm okay." He sighed. "I mean, after I destroyed my apartment, I felt better."

She shook her head. "Why would you do that?"

"I guess because I had so much anger inside of me. Anger over Laura, anger over our breakup, just everything. It might have been stupid, but it made me feel better."

"Kind of destructive, don't you think?"

"Maybe so, but maybe it was what I needed." He admitted.

Antonio glanced over at her and he took a deep breath. "So, I was thinking of our breakup a lot over the last few days. And please don't think it's because you were shot. I mean, maybe it got me thinking, but if I'm honest with myself, the breakup should have never happened. It's why I didn't come to the hospital, I needed to make sure my mind was clear when I came here. I also talked to a lawyer about getting custody of the kids."

Sylvie's eyes widened at his confession. "What?" She never thought Antonio would go down that road.

"Not full custody. Just so when Laura isn't in one of her moods, she won't take it out on the kids and myself when I'm supposed to get them."

She nodded her head. "How did she take that?"

"Not well, of course. But I told her I was going to fight dirty for my kids. Truthfully, I should have done this a while ago." He admitted. "But she finally realized it was a losing battle."

"You are a great father and anyone can see that."

"I also had an ulterior motive for doing this."

"And that is?" She asked, although she knew the answer.

"I miss you, Sylvie. I miss us. And I know Laura isn't the reason why we broke up, but she is a part of that reason." He admitted. "Besides, I feel like we needed this time apart. My mind was a mess, not just my life, my mind. It was like I was happy with you, but I was also waiting for something bad to happen. Especially when it came to Laura."

Sylvie looked over at the flowers. "I should put this in a vase." She stood up carefully as she walked in the kitchen. She was scared, she was scared that Antonio only thought he wanted to be back with her because she was shot.

"Sylvie." Antonio stood up and followed her. "I guess that wasn't the reaction I was hoping to get."

"Look Antonio, I miss you too. I do. But I can't keep getting shot so you know how much you care about me, I can't. That type of relationship I can't be in. I'll be too scared that any time you'll leave me."

"I know I put you through a lot. But that isn't going to happen again."

"How can I be sure? How can I be safe and secure in our relationship?"

"Because I love you Sylvie." He blurted out. "And I can keep on denying it all I want, but it's the truth."

"I'm scared." She admitted in a whispered.

"I am too." He walked over to her and he grabbed her hands. "I mean, the last woman I fell in love with left me. But baby, our love is worth fighting for. I know I haven't done much fighting in the last few months, but please forgive me."

"Hey, don't put all the blame on you. I shouldn't have let you walk away from me." She looked down at their joining hands. "We both made mistakes."

"I'm done making mistakes when it comes to our relationship. All I want to do is love you and cherish you for as long as you want me."

There were tears streaming down her face, she wasn't sure if it was happy or scared tears. "Maybe this time we can take our time—and also not let anyone else come in between our relationship?"

"Sounds like a plan." He agreed. "Wait, does that mean?" His eyes sparkled with hope.

"Yes. Like you said, our love is worth fighting for."

He smiled softly and he leaned forward and kissed her softly.


	57. Chapter 57: Later

Sylvie was planning on having a girls' night out and it was the perfect night to do it. It was a beautiful night out and she wanted to have fun.

Although Antonio was also off from work, the boys were coming over to watch the game so it was a perfect opportunity for her to go out.

She hated going out with the girls when Antonio was off from work since their schedules rarely met up like that, but since she wasn't in the mood to watch the game and knew he was tired of hearing the gossip, she figured a few hours away from him wouldn't be a big deal.

After she finished curling her hair, she walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, the one her and Antonio shared.

"Babe?" She heard Antonio's voice coming from the living room.

She walked over to the full sized mirror to check over her body as she responded to Antonio. "What?" She questioned as she took in her appearance.

Since her and Antonio were in the comfortable part of their relationship, she rarely dressed up for him anymore. Only on their date nights, and lately, they always agreed to stay inside and forget about the outside world. It wasn't something Sylvie was upset over because she loved spending time with him, but sometimes she missed dressing up.

She heard his footsteps heading into the bedroom and she glanced over at the door. She watched as he leaned against the door frame, watching her.

"No,Antonio." She shook her head, ready for what was about to come. "It took me so long to get ready." She complained. "Later baby, I'm all yours."

"That's not—I mean–" He shook his head, struggling to find the words to say. "What are you wearing?" He finally asked.

"Is that what you wanted to ask me?" She questioned and then shook her head. "I'm wearing a skirt and a tank top. What's wrong with it?" She asked as she folded her arms across her chest.

"The skirt, it's too short." He sighed. "I'm not trying to be that type of boyfriend. But you are also going out without me. So, I can't be there to protect you from creeps."

Sylvie couldn't help but roll her eyes. " The skirt is supposed to be this short. If it was a long skirt, may as well be call shorts or well—pants." She walked over to her dresser and she opened her jewelry box. "And besides, everyone knows I'm your girl so they stay far away from me."

"That's not the point, Sylvie. They will still look." He pointed out.

"Well, nothing I can do about that. I can't stop guys from looking, Antonio." She sighed in frustration as she took out her earrings and started putting them on. As soon as she put the last one on, she walked over to Antonio. "Please don;t upset me before I leave."

"Baby, I'm not trying to upset you." He took her hands in his. "I just don't want any guys looking at you that way."

"And women don't look at you?" She retorted back at him. "They even look at you when I'm in your arms." She rolled her eyes, annoyed. "But I don't say anything, simply because as long as they don't put their hands on you, I don't care."

Antonio laughed as he shook his head. "Oh and here I thought you don't get jealous." He said teasingly.

"I don't." Sylvie said defensively. She let go of his hands as she walked in the living room. "Maybe just maybe over Laura, but you were married to her and have two kids, so that's within reason."

"Babe, you know you don't have to be jealous over my ex-wife." He reminded her.

"I'm—not." She said finally. "I feel like when women get jealous, it's because they can't trust their boyfriends or it comes from a previous relationship. And although my past relationships weren't great, it wasn't that damaging." She shrugged her shoulders. "I trust you."

Antonio nodded his head as he sat down on the couch. He smiled softly. "I trust you too. But given my job, I wasn't complaining about the shortness of your skirt because I was jealous, only because I care."

Sylvie smiled as she took her jacket out of the closet and then slipped it on. She walked over to him and sat down on his lap.

"I love you and I love that you are always protecting me. It's one of the things I love about you among the million other reasons why I love you. But it also isn't every day I can dress up and hang with the girls. So, please know that I'll be okay and I'll be home later, okay?"

His one arm wrapped her around her waist and he raised his other hand and stroked her cheek gently. He nodded his head. "If anyone deserves to have fun, it's you baby."

Sylvie smiled as she leaned in and kissed him gently. After a few minutes the kiss deepened but is interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

Antonio groaned as he pulled away and looked at her. "Finish later?" He asked softly as he leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"Oh, yes, we definitely will finish this later." Sylvie smiled as she stood up. She fixed herself and then she walked towards the door. She opened it and smiled as she saw Matt and a few other guys on the other side of the door.

"Hey guys." She smiled softly as they walked in the apartment.

"Gabby is waiting for you downstairs. I let her use my car so that way she can pick me up when she drops you off." Matt explained as he walked over to the couch.

"Thanks, Matt." Sylvie smiled as she walked over to the table and picked up her purse. "You boys behave." She looked over at Antonio. "Especially you." She winked at him.

Antonio grinned as he stood up and walked over to her. "Be careful, babe. I love you."

Sylvie smiled as she headed towards the door that was still open. "I love you too, baby." She blew him a kiss as she headed out of the door and shut it behind her.


	58. Chapter 58: Forget the World

Antonio felt like it was the longest day of his life. Chasing down bad guys seem to get harder as each day passes.

He sighed as he walked inside his apartment and threw his keys on the desk. A smile instantly appeared on his face as he smell something good.

"Antonio?" He heard Sylvie called out and his smile grew more.

"It's me, baby." As he took off his jacket, he headed into the kitchen. "I didn't expect you here tonight but happy you're here."

"I figured we were going to spend time together later, and I wanted to cook you dinner. You sounded stressed on the phone earlier." She explained as she kept her attention on the food.

"I was." He admitted. "But I'm fine now." He promised.

For the first time since he walked into the apartment, she turned to looked at him. "Oh my god." She gasped. " Who gave you that black eye?"

Antonio was tempted to joke to try to calm her down, but thought against it. She was really worried. "I'm fine. Please don't worry about it."

Sylvie walked over to him and she placed her hand on his face, pushing him further into the light to see the bruise on his face. "Don't worry about it?" She repeated. "So, if I came here with a black eye and told you not to worry about it, you wouldn't?" She asked.

He sighed. "You know I would. But you also don't chase after criminals." He pointed out.

"Maybe not but I kind of like your face, you know? I don't like seeing bruises covered on it."

Antonio smiled softly. "You should see the other guy." He attempted to joke now since he felt like she calmed down some.

"Knowing you, you probably messed him up." She agreed.

He reached up and he he took her hand off his face, holding her hands. "Let's not let this ruin our night, okay? You went through all this trouble and I want to forget about the day, actually forget about the world and focus on you, on us."

"That sounds wonderful." She agreed as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

"Now, while you finish dinner, tell me how much you like my face." He said in a flirty tone as she shook her head.

"I said I kind of like your face." She grinned at him. "Don't get full of yourself now." She warned him as she walked back over to the stove and refocused her attention back on their dinner.

Antonio laughed as he walked over to her and he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "Oh come on, you know you love my face. You're obsessed with it." He moved his hands up and started tickling her.

"Babe, stop!" She squealed as she started giggling. "I'm cooking dinner, stop!"

A few seconds later, he stepped away from her and she frowned at the loss at contact.

"I said stop tickling me, I didn't tell you to back away." She pouted.

"I know, babe. But don't worry, after dinner, I'll hold you for the rest of the night among doing other things." He winked at her.

Sylvie laughed as she watched Antonio walked out of the kitchen.


	59. Chapter 59: Third Time is a Charm

It was one of those nights that Sylvie couldn't sleep. Her mind was in a frantic state and she hated it. She wasn't even sure why it was, but unfortunately, it was.

She glanced over at Antonio and she sighed. He was sleeping peacefully, not knowing that she was awake or that she was struggling to fall asleep. Asshole.

But as she thought about her boyfriend, she realized the last thing she could call him was an asshole. He was the most amazing man she knew and she was with him.

They were together. What more could she want?

Well, right now, she wanted him conscious and talking to her. Maybe that wasn't fair but she was bored and her brain wouldn't let her sleep.

Knowing how to wake him up, she suck in a deep breath. This could go either two ways. One, she would fall asleep in an hour happy, or two, he would kick her out. Maybe not out of his house, but out of his room for sure.

She leaned over and pulled the blanket down from his chest. But then a second later, he pulled it back up.

"No." She whispered. What the hell?

She thought if she tried it again, he wouldn't do it again.

She did it again. She pulled the blanket down and then a second later, he pulled it back up.

Crap. He was sleeping but apparently wanted to fight over the covers. It wasn't like she wanted it, but she couldn't wake him up if he was covered with blankets.

Maybe the third time is a charm. If not, this was going to end badly for her.

After gaining the courage, she pulled the blanket completely off of him. She didn't want to, but apparently gaining her courage gave her more strength than she thought she was capable of.

"Sylvie! Stop hogging the blanket." He complained.

"I'm not!" She said defensively. "I wanted to lay on your chest." She lied. "And you kept pulling the blanket up."

Antonio turned to face her as he rubbed his eyes. "That doesn't even make sense. Why couldn't you just lay on top of the blanket?" He asked.

"Because I wanted to hear your heart beat." She said sweetly. "But it's fine. Take the blanket and cuddle with it. I don't care."

"Baby, no. I'm sorry. I'm half asleep. I'm sorry, come here."

Ah, a guilt trip, it works every time.

She smiled softly as she moved over closer to him and rested her head on his chest.

As she listened to his heart beat, and although it was soothing her, she was sure her other plan would work better.

Not wanting to be excused of anything, she knew she had to wait.

As a few minutes passed, she moved her hands up and down his chest. "Mhmm. Have you been working out lately?"

"I don't know, Sylvie. What are you doing?" He asked in a sleepily voice.

"I'm not doing anything." She said innocently. "Just admiring your body."

"Can you admire it when it's not in the middle of the night?" He questioned. "Please go to sleep."

"Oh yeah, of course. Whatever you want." She agreed and she laid on his chest as she thought about stupid things. Trying to pass the time to start up again.

Maybe running her hands over his body only worked when he wasn't tired, she figured. She had to do something that made him want to stay awake and not fall back asleep.

She smiled as she leaned up and she started trailing kisses along his neck and she smirked as she heard his soft moans.

Unfortunately, a few seconds later, Antonio pulled her away. "Sylvie. What are you doing?"

"I was trying to make you want me." She frowned. "Guess you didn't want that."

"What is the matter with you?" He asked, a hint of a smile appearing on his face. " You didn't just wake me up at 2am because you were 'in the mood.'"

"But I am. I'm tired but can't fall asleep and I figured—"

"You are going to make me so tired for work tomorrow, you know that?"

"But it'll be so worth it." She said with a twinkle in her eye.

"You are always worth it." He grinned as he pulled her on top of him.


	60. Chapter 60: Surprise

It was Sylvie's day off from work but unfortunately, Antonio was working. She missed him but she planned on bringing lunch to him. She just hoped he wasn't too busy on a case.

Although she knew she could text him to see if he was busy, she wanted to surprise him. It wasn't every day that she could, so she wanted to do it today.

It was a beautiful day so she rummaged through her closet and she smiled softly as she found a red and black plaid dress. It was casual and definitely something she was aiming for right now.

As she dressed and then pulled her hair into a ponytail, she looked at herself in the mirror. She rarely wore her hair in a ponytail but with this dress, it worked better than what she normally wore her hair.

Once she was done putting on some makeup, not a lot, but so that her face wasn't so bare, she walked into her bedroom. She decided to wear boots that went up towards her knees. It worked with this dress.

20 minutes later, she walked inside the Justice building and smiled as the receptionist told her to head thru. She wondered if that meant she visited Antonio enough or that Antonio put her on his list of people that comes through with no questions asked. She wasn't sure, but she didn't care.

She glanced down at the bag she was holding. She opt to stop by the Chinese restaurant for Lunch, knowing it was quick, easy, and mess free. She wasn't even hungry, just wanted to spend time with her boyfriend.

"Sylvie." Antonio called out her name as he headed out of a room. She figured it was an interrogation room and she sucked in a deep breath. She hoped her efforts weren't wasted. That's what she got for not making sure he was free.

"Hey." She greeted as he came over closer to her. She smiled when he leaned in and kissed her cheek.

Once upon a time, Antonio hated this kind of PDA but now he didn't care. It was like second nature to him now.

"I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time." She bit down on her bottom lip, nervously.

"Of course not. Never too busy for my girl." He smiled softly at her. He glanced over at Stone who was hunched over Nagel's desk, probably talking about a case. "I'm taking my lunch break."

"Okay, Dawson." Stone said without looking up.

"Told you I wasn't busy." He smiled at her. "Let me help you." He offered as he took the bag out of her hand.

"Such a gentlemen." Her smile grew wider as he took a hold of her free hand and led her into an empty room.

"We should have plenty of privacy in here."

Sylvie glanced around the room, taking in the appearance. It wasn't much, just a few chairs and a table where they could eat. But honestly, they could have lunch in her car and she would be happy. He just brought that out in her.

"I know it isn't a great place to eat." He said apologetically.

As soon as the words left his mouth, she whipped her heads towards his direction. "Are you kidding me? You know that kind of stuff never matters to me." She said with a smile. "Do you guys come in here often?" She asked softly.

Antonio shrugged his shoulders. "Just when we want to discuss cases privately. Or wanting some peace and quiet to try to clue things together." He explained.

Sylvie walked over to him and sat down next to him on the chair. "I love how happy you are here. I mean, I know we weren't together long when you were in intelligence but–" Her voice trailed off when she caught him staring at her intently.

"That's not why I'm happy. Maybe a part of the reason, just a tiny part. Because I get to spend time with you more. But I'm happy simply because you make me happy. More happy than I think I deserve." He admitted as he took the cartons out of the bag and started placing them on the table.

"Hey." She said as she placed a hand on his bicep, stopping his movements. "You deserve to be happy. I just feel lucky that I'm the one that makes you happy."

Antonio smiled softly and he nodded his head. A few seconds later Sylvie removed her hand from his bicep.

They were talking about each other's day and also catching up since their schedules made it hard to catch up on some days. Their relationship may be challenging on that part, but Sylvie wouldn't change anything about their relationship.

As soon as they were done eating, Sylvie was starting to straightened up.

"What are you doing after you leave here?" Antonio asked.

Sylvie smiled. "Probably run a few errands, go food shopping. I planned on making you a home cook meal."

"You don't have to do that." Antonio said.

"I know, but I want to." Sylvie promised. "I know I told you the reasons why me and my ex fiance didn't work out and a big part of that was expecting dinner on the table every night, but I know you don't expect that."

"I don't." He agreed. "As long as you're home when I come home, I'm happy. I have all I could ever want."

Sylvie smiled softly. "And that's why I enjoy cooking dinner for you. You deserve a home cook meal. I hate that it can't be every night, so when I can cook, you best believe I'm going to."

As Sylvie was about to head out of the room, Antonio grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. "W—What?" She asked, confused.

"This place is busy with people and I don't want people to hear this, but you look pretty hot in plaid." Antonio said as his eyes darkened with desire.

"Well I would promise to keep it on when you come home later but who says I'll wear anything?" She said teasingly.

"Okay leave before you make me lose control." He laughed softly as Sylvie walked out of the room.

As Antonio walked out of the Justice building towards the car, his smile grew wider across his face. "Can I also mention that I love when you call my apartment home?"

Sylvie's cheeks burned red in embarrassment. "You said it first." She pointed out.

"I did." He agreed. "But I love that you didn't correct me."

A few seconds later, Sylvie leaned against her car as she looked at Antonio. "Be careful, okay? Come home–" She grinned softly. "In one piece, okay?"

"I will." He leaned down so their faces were only inches away.

"Promise?" She asked.

"I promise." He closed the distance between them, kissing her softly. Knowing if they deepened the kiss that he could easily lose control, he pulled away.

"I love you." He said as he backed away slightly as she opened her car and got inside.

"I love you too." She smiled softly and he closed her door once she got inside.

He watched as she drove away, taking a deep breath.

He always thought happiness wasn't for him, but Sylvie Brett changed all that for him.


	61. Chapter 61: Personal Ties

"Dawson, Nagel, I need you to go somewhere." Stone said as he rushed over to them.

Antonio and Nagel listened to what Stone needed for them and they were about to head out when Stone stopped him.

"I feel like I need to warn you that the paramedics on the scene were your sister and your girlfriend."

He nodded his head as he sucked in a deep breath.

"I got it." He promised, knowing he couldn't run over to Sylvie or Gabby just because of his personal ties with them. Deep personal ties at that.

As Antonio headed out of the Justice building, Nagel looked over at him. "So, let me get this sister and your girlfriend were at the crime of the scene when pretty much a gang war erupted in front of them?" She questioned.

"You were there when Stone explained it, Nagel." He said, clearly frustrated.

"Look, I know you want to check in on them, so you can question them while I question other witnesses." She suggested.

"Are you sure?" He asked as he headed over to his truck.

"Absolutely." Over the last few months, they grew closer as partners and knew how much family meant to Antonio. "As long as you get their statement, I don't care."

Antonio climbed inside his truck and he nodded his head. "Thanks, Nagel."

Once they were buckled up, he put on his sirens as he headed towards the scene of the crime. Probably because of his sister and girlfriend in this mess, he made it there in less than 10 minutes.

As he quickly unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the truck, he looked over at Nagel as she quickly made her way over to the witnesses. There were cops with Gabby and Sylvie, but thankfully, as he walked over to them, they walked away.

When Gabby saw Antonio, she quickly gave him a hug. "I wasn't sure if you were going to show up or the intelligence unit." She admitted as she stepped back from the hug.

"For the most part, this is their case but still investigating it since this is huge." He said as he glanced around at the crime scene.

"5 dead, and more injured." Gabby said, bringing Antonio's attention back to her.

"I'm just glad you guys are okay." Maybe it wasn't the right thing to say since these were just kids, but it was the truth.

He glanced over at Sylvie and he walked over to her and he pulled her in his arms.

"I'm fine, Antonio." She promised, knowing him, he was worried out of his mind.

"Did they hurt you?" He asked as he pulled away from the hug and examined her face. Once he didn't see anything, he stepped away from her further and examined her body.

"Antonio, stop!" She said in a loud tone, but only loud enough for him to calm down. "I'm fine. Me and Gabby went and cover when the shooting happened."

"Thank god." He said as he pulled her back in his arms and kissed her head.

Maybe his overprotectiveness could get annoying, but she couldn't blame him. Every time he went to work, she couldn't help but think she was going to get a phone call that he was shot. But this was their life and they chose it but more importantly, they respected each other and knew they could handle each other.

She knew he was only being overprotective because this could have ended badly but she had no doubt in her mind that she knew Antonio thought she could handle herself.

A few seconds, he pulled away and he looked at Sylvie and Gabby. "I know the last thing you want to do right now is give a statement and you may have done so with other cops, but I need you guys to tell me what happened." He said as he took out his notepad and a pen and started writing down what they said occurred.

After they were done giving Antonio their statement, Gabby placed her hand on his arm. "Thank you, Antonio." She turned her attention to Sylvie. "I'm going to go get in the ambulance and call Matt to tell him we're okay."

Sylvie nodded her head and watched as Gabby walked away and got in the drivers side. She turned her attention back to her boyfriend who was staring at her intently.

"You're cute when you're all worried." She thought maybe flirting with him and getting his mind off of what could happen would calm him down.

"Yeah?" He asked as a slight smile appeared on his face. But just as fast as it came, it was gone. His eyes turned serious and he stepped closer to her. He took her hands in his.

"I think I'm going to have to buy you a bullet proof vest to make sure that you can't get hurt."

Sylvie laughed as she shook her head. "We live in Chicago, I don't think I can expect to be a paramedic and that I'll be safe at all times. I learned that in my first few months of being a paramedic."

"I guess I should just be relieved that you're strong." He smiled softly as he leaned in and kissed her cheek.

Antonio may not have been a fan of PDA before he met Sylvie, but then again, before Sylvie, he was a different man with different beliefs.

Sylvie glanced over at Nagel who seemed to be waiting for Antonio and knowing Gabby was waiting for her, she knew they had to say their goodbyes for now.

"I would love to stay here all day, but I know Gabby wants to leave and I am technically still on duty, so I'll see you later?" She asked.

"Damn straight you will. Will you be coming to my place after shift?" He questioned as he let go of one of her hands to stroked her cheek.

"Of course. I'm already exhausted after what happened here, and I always sleep better in your arms anyway." She smiled.

"Okay. Be careful, okay? Please." He pleaded with her, the last thing he needed was to find out she was in danger again.

"I will. But you be careful too. I love you." She sealed her proclamation of love with a kiss against his lips.

It wasn't a long kiss, but it was kiss filled with love.

"I love you too." He said once the kiss ended.

As he walked away, Sylvie smiled, feeling better than what she was feeling before he showed up. Antonio always managed to make her feel better.


	62. Chapter 62: Whatever you Want

Although both Sylvie and Antonio had off today, she went to her apartment for a few hours to clean up and make sure she still had an apartment to go to. Ever since her and Antonio got together a few months ago, she rarely spent a night at her apartment. However, sometimes she had to go there to pick up some more clothes and make sure everything was good.

Antonio made jokes about paying rent for a place that she barely slept in, but they both knew they weren't ready to take another step in their relationship right now. And to be honest, Sylvie was happy. More happy than she has been in her life.

Diego and Eva were also supposed to come later tonight and she wanted to get things done at her place first and then spend the night with them. In the beginning of their relationship, Sylvie thought it was best if she didn't sleep over when he had the kids because she didn't want to make them uncomfortable or be the reason why they didn't visit their father. But after a while, she started spending the night while they were there.

After a few hours, Sylvie drove back to Antonio's apartment. She walked over to his door and she unlocked it, walking inside. As she closed the door, she heard him yelling.

"What the hell?" She whispered as she locked the door and headed towards his voice.

She walked over to the bedroom and she leaned against the door frame, as she listened to him yelling into the phone.

"Laura, you can't do this." He said, exasperated. "They are my kids."

Sylvie sighed, knowing what she was saying without being on the phone.

"Laura! Laura!"

Sylvie assumed she hung up the phone and giving him a few minutes in silence, she walked further in the room.

She didn't say anything, wanting to give him time alone to process the information but also wanting to let him know she was there.

"Hey." He said as he looked up, hearing her footsteps. "I didn't realize you came home."

"Yeah, you seem preoccupied." She said, referring to the phone call. She wanted him to know that she heard.

"Yeah." He shrugged his shoulders. "Laura just being Laura."

"You know, all she is doing is pushing the kids away."

"Not really. She probably is making the kids think I don't want to spend time with them. I was looking forward to this all week. It was the first time in a month that I had the kids while you also had off." He sighed heavily.

Sylvie sat down next to him on the bed and she placed her hand on his thigh. "That's not true. The kids know you love them. They may let Laura tell them these lies, but they know the truth." She said, trying to get Antonio to see that he wasn't going to lose the kids.

"I already have a rocky relationship with Eva. She isn't making this any better." He said, frustrated. "Sometimes I wonder if me and Laura stayed together how my relationship with Eva would be like." Realizing what he said, he shook his head. "I mean–"

Sylvie shook her head, interrupting him. "I know what you mean. But probably. Teenagers are hard to deal with. Every teenage daughter rebels against their father. Whether they live with their father or not, every father goes through this. But don't worry, Eva knows you love her."

He sighed and he nodded his head. "Okay." Although he was still in an upset mood, he wasn't allowing Laura to mess up his night with Sylvie. She could ruin his time with his kids, but not with his girlfriend.

"Hey, I know you would rather see your kids right now, we can still do whatever you want. We can go out to eat, or just go out a night on the town. Something we never get to do. So, come on." She urged him. She didn't want to see him so upset and wanted to get his mind off of things.

"Actually, since Laura ruined our night with the kids and—" Antonio began, a small smile forming on his lips. " It's just you and me tonight. I was thinking we could have a little fun."

"Oh yeah?" Her own smile formed on her lips. "I have a feeling I'm going to need more energy for this, so let's go grab some dinner?" She suggested. "I could make dinner or we could order in? Whatever you want."

"I think ordering in sounds perfect. That way we can have some fun before it gets here" He said in a flirty tone.

Sylvie laughed, shaking her head. "Well, I did say whatever you want, didn't I?" She grinned. "So, let's order the food and then I'm all yours."

"Sounds good." He smiled softly. "Thank you."


	63. Chapter 63: We're good to Each other

Ever since Sylvie and Antonio started dating, she was happy. More happy than she ever been in her life. He was different from all her other boyfriends.

Unfortunately with that happiness and only caring about spending time with him, she started gaining relationship weight. Before Antonio, she thought it was a myth and because she never gained any weight from previous relationships, she thought if it was true, she just didn't gain weight.

As much as she wanted to blame Antonio, she couldn't. She supposed after a few months together, and also dealing with his insane ex-wife, it was her fault. She even skipped Zumba classes so she could spend time with Antonio.

She even decided going on a diet right now was best since she could go back to Zumba classes, could go to the gym every chance she gets, but if she continued eating the junk she was consuming lately, it would be a wasted effort.

It was her day off and it was the first day of her new diet and exercise plan, and her alarm went off at 6 am. As she reached over and turned it off, Antonio groaned.

"Babe, it feels so early. Why is your alarm going off on our day off?" He questioned as he tried to adjust to the light that was coming into their room. Luckily at 6 am, the light wasn't too bright but they both knew in a few minutes, it would be getting brighter.

"I told you Antonio, today starts my new diet and exercise. I plan on doing some cardio and then later I have a Zumba class. Trust me, in a few weeks, the woman you found desirable will be back."

He turned his head to looked at her. "What are you talking about? I still find you desirable. If I didn't, how come we're still making love?" He asked. "Women I swear. You gain one pound and you're acting like it's the end of the world."

"Actually it was 10 pounds. At this rate, soon you are going to come home and find that I gained 300 pounds and can't get off the couch." She complained as she climbed out of the bed.

He sighed heavily. "Do you know how much junk food you have to consume for that to happen? Not just junk food, but take out food, and your job keeps you in shape." He pointed out.

"I'm not you, Antonio. I don't run after people." Truthfully, her biggest fear was that she was going to gain so much weight that Antonio was going to start looking at other women. Maybe it wasn't in his nature to do that, but she wasn't about to find out.

"Look, I'm all for you to wanting to stay in shape, to stay healthy. Key word here is stay because you're already healthy, but we don't have many days off together and I truly just want to hold you in my arms right now while we sleep."

"You can go back to sleep, babe. But I'm running." She said in a firm tone to let him know that she was serious. She wasn't trying to sound like a horrible person complaining about gaining weight, but she also didn't want to not do anything. Besides, if she were being honest, she missed Zumba class. It was the only connection she had here that reminded her of her times in Indiana. She loved Chicago now and absolutely loved her life here, but sometimes she still felt home sick. And taking Zumba classes helped her.

After she was done changing into a pair of running shorts and a tank top, she walked over to Antonio. "I'll be back soon, okay?"

Antonio opened his eyes and looked at her appearance. "You know what? I'll come with you. I had plenty of cases where a woman got assaulted for running alone."

Sylvie smirked but she nodded her head. "Okay. I'll wait for you in the living room." She said as she walked out of the room and headed into the living room.

A few minutes later, she heard the bedroom door opening and turned her head to look at him. "I'm just going to pretend to believe you're coming with me to protect me from creeps other than protecting me from guys staring at me."

"I can't believe you got me up early on my day off to go running when you're in wonderful shape. And especially because you could always work out at my gym later." He reminded her.

"Oh trust me, I would, but I don't need you to watch my every move while I'm working out. Running together is fine, but I'm going to my Zumba class later by myself."

"Fine." He shrugged his shoulders.

An hour later, they both walked back into the apartment, sweaty but otherwise in more energy than earlier.

"I forgot how much fun it is running." He said. "But unlike you, I'm not on a diet so I'm going to make myself breakfast."

"Hey. That's not fair." She pouted. "You're not supporting me."

"Are you kidding me?" He asked with a chuckle. "I went running with you, how much more supportive can I get?"

"You can go on a diet with me."

"No." He shook his head. "Absolutely not. Who knows what your diet entails of. I mean, look at your protein shake." He said as his eyes glanced at the drink in her hand.

Sylvie was worried that she wouldn't make the protein shake as good as someone who had practice so she stopped to pick one up. She figured a place called a Health Foods and Juice bar would be better.

"Hey, it's um—different. I already feel my stomach flattening." She said, defensively.

"Sure, sure." He said, patronizing her. "Maybe if you already feel it working, you don't need to run, just drink that for the next few days."

"Such an ass." She laughed.

"But excuse me, I'm going to cook a real breakfast."

If he truly felt like Sylvie needed to lose a few pounds, he certainly would have supported her more. But she was fine, at least in his eyes, she was fine.

After he made his breakfast, eggs, bacon and sausage, he sat down at the kitchen table.

He looked up as Sylvie entered the kitchen. "I hope you choke on your food."

"Baby, stop. I think you're being ridiculous now. It's good to exercise, but going on a diet because of 10 pounds, it's nuts. It'll be different if I can notice the weight you gained, but I can't. And besides, you act like I didn't gain weight in this relationship."

"You didn't. You still look as great as you did when you helped me in the ambulance. If anything, you look better." She shook her head. "Besides, women always gets treated unfairly when they gain weight." She pointed out.

"I know, remember I have a sister and growing up, she always wanted us to go on a special diet because she was getting treated unfairly. But like I told Gabby at age 15, and I'll tell you now, anyone calls you fat and I'll beat them up." He said as he grinned at her. "Besides, the only person opinion that should matter is mine."

Sylvie nodded her head as she glanced down at his food.

"You know you want it, sweetheart." He said as he caught her eye staring at his food. "I made extra just in case you wanted some. So come in, give in."

Sylvie bit down on her bottom lip, contemplating but then she nodded her head. "Fine. But promise me if I ever gain too much weight, you'll still love me."

"Of course." He promised her as he stood up. "Sit down and let me grab your plate."

Sylvie smiled and she nodded her head. "You're too good to me." She remarked as she took a seat across from her.

"We're good to each other. I think that's why our relationship works and why it's so strong." He said and a few minutes later ,he placed her food down in front of her.

"If you didn't know yet, you're my favorite." She grinned as she picked up her fork and started eating.

Antonio grinned and he nodded his head as he took his seat again. "And you're my favorite. Always."


End file.
